Michael Burlingame

Frederick Douglass called the martyred president "emphatically the black man's president" as well as "the first who rose above the prejudice of his times and country." This narrative history of Lincoln's personal interchange with Black people over the course his career reveals a side of the sixteenth president that, until now, has not been fully explored or understood. In a little-noted eulogy delivered shortly after Lincoln's assassination, Frederick...

From the Mud March to Gettysburg (January-July 1863) Dissatisfaction with the Emancipation Proclamation and lack of military victory heightens the discontent with the administration. Trouble comes with the destructive rivalry within the army and the threat of the French intervening on behalf of the Confederacy. The president's decision concerning the Minnesota Sioux Uprising infuriates the West. Lincoln must decide what to do with a demoralized army...

Lincoln's Frontier Background Shapes the Future President (1809-1837) In Chapter 1, we are introduced to Lincoln's lineage and the history of his grandparents, his parents and the various locations in which they settled. But this chapter is mainly devoted to Lincoln's father, Thomas, recounting many of his ventures, personality traits and the intricacies of his relationship with his son. We also learn of his son's childhood experiences, mainly those...

An Election Victory, Threats of Succession, and Appointing a Cabinet (1860-1861) Lincoln campaigns for the presidency and the new Republican Party struggles to win the popular support of ex-Whigs and disaffected Democrats. They must also placate the Seward and Chase camps with patronage promises, fend off charges of being the party of 'negro equality' and keep the abolitionist elements of their coalition in line. Since presidential candidates did...

From Springfield to Washington, Inauguration, and Distributing Patronage (1861) Lincoln's arrival in Washington generally helps lift the spirits of the city's inhabitants and the North. Despite his efforts to help reach some kind of compromise, the much touted Peace Conference ends in failure and acrimony. Meanwhile Lincoln works on his all important inaugural address, fielding suggestions from close colleagues and deflecting efforts by Seward to...

From the Slough of Despond to the Gates of Richmond (January-July 1862) Cameron is replaced by Stanton. The president begins to supervise the army and take charge of his administration. Lincoln puts forward his proposal of gradual emancipation with monetary grants to participating states. Many criticize the plan as too expensive. The president proceeds to emancipate the District of Columbia. Lincoln carries out a strategy to replace the social system...

The Fort Sumter Crisis (March-April 1861) Lincoln struggles with William Seward's thirst for power while the Fort Sumter question comes to the forefront of the nation's politics. War has begun. Lincoln hesitates calling a session of Congress amidst fears of interference with the war effort. Needing to defend the capital, he calls for the Union militia. A commander by the name of George B. McClellan is placed in complete control of the Union army....

A Win in Congress and a Battle Against Slavery (1843-1849) This chapter begins with Lincoln's fight for a seat in congress against two other Whig candidates. This part of his life is notably marked by domestic disturbances, many of which shaped people's idea of Lincoln, the man. Taking a pro-tariff stance in his campaign, he is elected to congress in 1846. We learn of his affinity to poetry, which he avidly read and wrote, and see the development...

In a little-noted eulogy delivered after Lincoln's assassination, Frederick Douglass called the president "emphatically the black man's president," the "first to show any respect for their rights as men." Douglass pointed not just to Lincoln's official acts and utterances, like the Emancipation Proclamation or the Second Inaugural Address, but also to the president's own personal experiences with Black people. But Lincoln's description as "emphatically...