Lincoln- Honest Abe and Father Abraham

“A. Lincoln continues to fascinate us because he eludes simple definitions and final judgments” (3).


The Book

Any author writing a new biography of Abraham Lincoln has an insurmountable task: a public who is already familiar with the life and times of the 16^th President. Ronald C. White, Jr. takes on the task aided by the Lincoln Legal Papers and hosts of new primary documents. A. Lincoln: A Biography is well worth the invested time (676 pages) and the narrative is easy to follow.

White opens each chapter with a quote from Lincoln and a brief passage that sets the stage for the chapter. This immediately places the reader in Lincoln’s shoes: picturing his environment, what he saw and did, interactions with other people, and the culture. Lincoln’s story begins with a brief introduction to his ancestors and parents, flows through his political and professional development, and ends by honing in on his presidency. Of course, the basic biographical information will be known to many readers. However, White writes in an engaging way and brings in quite a bit of information I did not know. He dives into Lincoln’s thought processes, showing how a man (without a formal education) was a dedicated researcher, careful thinker and planner, and investigator who weighed all sides of an issue. What was particularly fascinating for me was to follow White as he traced Lincoln’s thought processes and growth in beliefs as president. For example, Lincoln took his first public stand against slavery in 1837; yet, he knew that the timing had to be right to interject slavery into the rationale for the Civil War.

A. Lincoln also provides insight into how Lincoln prepared his speeches and an analysis of the speeches. Lincoln appreciated good oratory and was able to communicate well in a variety of ways, but was also nervous prior to delivering a speech. White argues that, “[Lincoln’s] most developed political weapon [was] public speaking” (299). Based on what I read, I would go one step further and say it was all communication. Lincoln could connect through a speech, personal conversation, private letter, or public letter.

The more I read A. Lincoln, the more I come to admire, respect, and like President Lincoln. He was a man committed to the principles of Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bible. The final chapter unpacks Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address in detail, showing a president who understand the consequences of the past four years and the role God plays in the lives of man.

The Place
If the regular readers haven’t already noticed, I read and write quite a bit about President Lincoln. In fact, I have been fascinated with him since I was four years old. What better way to culminate years of fascination than a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum?

Visitors walk into a rotunda and are prompted to travel through two sections: Lincoln’s early life through the 1861 election and his presidency. Lifesize and realistic statutes bring the people and scenes to life, with artifacts, technology, and explanations interspersed. This Museum is engaging and well-thought out, helping visitors get to know Lincoln, appreciate why history is so vital, and walk away with a new appreciation for the 16^th President.

I read A. Lincoln after visiting the Museum, but still saw a strong connection between how both treated the saga of the Emancipation Proclamation. Author White shows the development of this document through other events, in order to show the reader the process and seriousness of the issue. The Museum captures Lincoln’s decision through dramatic images and technology. I will never forget seeing the climax of this part of the museum: there is a single hallway lined with pre-recorded actors passionately stating their views on the Emancipation Proclamation. The narrow hallway draws your attention to the lone figure of Lincoln, standing over his desk with the paper is his hand. Behind him, a screen airs silhouette images of slavery and the audio provide more views of the issue. This exhibit and White’s book help to truly capture the significance of Lincoln’s decision to free the slaves.

The Museum is located in downtown Springfield, IL. There is an admission cost and ample parking available on the street or in a public garage (both have a fee). Before you leave, make sure to talk a family photo with the Lincoln family in the rotunda and check out Union Station Park across the street, with several Lincoln statues. If you are in Springfield for more than a day, there are plenty of other Lincoln sites to explore (see previous blog posts for descriptions).

Shaping of a President

“Coming to the village like ‘a piece of floating driftwood,’ as [Lincoln] said, he had worked his way up to a position of leadership not only in New Salem but in the state as well” (134).

The Book

The purpose of Lincoln’s New Salem is to introduce the reader to a time that shaped Abraham Lincoln’s life. Author, Benjamin P. Thomas argues that the six years (1831-1837) Lincoln spent in New Salem influenced many of his skills and abilities: leadership, reputation, politics, law, public speaking, and debate to name a few.

Thomas splits the book into three sections, the history of New Salem, Lincoln’s time in New Salem, and the restoration of New Salem. Part One explores the frontier era and what life was like for the average pioneer. Thomas also touches on the people, businesses, and growth of New Salem. Part Two comprises the bulk of the book. Here the reader learns of Lincoln’s arrival in town and the various jobs he held. Lincoln quickly earned the reputation of courageous, strong, honest, and truthful. It is in New Salem where Lincoln first runs for political office and begins to educate himself, ultimately settling on reading the law. In 1837, Lincoln was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and moved to Springfield (the new state capitol). Part Three provides the reader with a look at the growth of the Lincoln legend, after his assassination, which led to an interest in Lincoln pre-presidency. That interest led to restoration efforts in New Salem, as well as in Kentucky and Indiana.

Lincoln’s New Salem was originally published in 1954, 32 years after restoration began of the New Salem village. Thomas is considered a Lincoln scholar and lends credibility to this in-depth look at six years of Lincoln’s life. Lincoln’s New Salem is well-written, although it is a straight history book full of details regarding Lincoln and the frontier of central Illinois. Sometimes, the reader can get lost in the lists of facts or descriptions, but the detail does help the reader visualize Lincoln’s world.

The Place

Lincoln’s New Salem provides visitors the chance to walk the streets of the village Lincoln called home for six years. Numerous buildings, including log homes, were restored and filled with period furniture. The New Salem Mill, a significant part of the village, was also restored.

New Salem has Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter specific hours, so make sure to check the website prior to visiting. Throughout the year, there are various events and the campground is open from April to October. My family visited for a day, tied to a weekend spent exploring Lincoln sites in the Springfield, IL area. One of the unique aspects of Lincoln’s New Salem is the opportunity to learn about the Lincoln before his time as a lawyer or as the president.

Lincoln's Profession

“…what would Lincoln have seen when he practiced the law?” (ix)

The Book

Abraham Lincoln is known for his honesty, debates with Stephen Douglas, and presidency. Many people know that Lincoln was a lawyer, but few know the details behind the profession he spent the most time in. Brian Dirck attempts to rectify that in his book, Lincoln the Lawyer. 

Not much is known about Lincoln’s law practice; detailed records where not kept and, according to Dirck, many embellished their accounts after Lincoln’s death. Lincoln studied for four years prior to taking the bar exam and was a junior partner in two different law firms from 1837-1844. In 1844, he asked William Henry Herndon to be his junior partner. Dirck uses the words of Lincoln, his partners, and clerks to help paint a picture of Lincoln the lawyer.

Dirck comes to the conclusion that practicing law had a great impact on Lincoln’s politics. In my opinion, this final chapter is the best part of the book. Dirck shows the reader that law built Lincoln’s networking and general people skills and shaped his language and arguments. Dirck traces connections between Lincoln’s writings and thought-processes as president with legal concepts. The law practice ultimately taught Lincoln the value of grease (in a figurative sense) to allow things to function.

The book is well-written and provides new insight into our 16^th President. However, it is geared more towards the academic reader than the average history buff. The chapters are broken down by topic, which makes it easy to pick up after a break from reading. The majority of the book explains the time period, how men became lawyers, and the various types of cases. It is important for the reader to have this background information, but it often feels like a history of antebellum law, rather than a Lincoln biography.

The Place

Lincoln's Law Office is located across the square from the Old State Capitol Building in Springfield. The whole square has a historic feel, as if the visitor has stepped back in time. If you close your eyes, you can imagine Lincoln walking to his office.

At the time of this writing, Lincoln’s Law Office is closed for renovations. Unfortunately, due to the budget crisis in Illinois, it is unclear when the site will be re-opened. While you may not be able to enter Lincoln’s Law Office, it is still worth it to walk past the place where an influential president spent his days practicing law. 

A Tale of Two Presidents

“[Secretary of War] Stanton did not expect the [funeral] train itself to take on a life of its own and to become a venerated symbol in its own right” (212).


The Book   

As a follow-up to Manhunt, James L. Swanson wrote Bloody Crimes: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Chase for Jefferson Davis. Just like his first book, Swanson produces a history book that is as enjoyable as a novel. He simultaneously tells the stories of Abraham Lincoln’s funeral and funeral train with the Union Army’s pursuit of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy.

Lincoln’s funeral was unlike anything Washington, DC had seen. A public viewing in the White House was followed by a funeral, a procession to the Capitol, and a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda. Almost 3,000 people an hour walked through the Rotunda. A thirteen day, 1,645 mile train ride followed. The funeral train stopped in eleven cities. Swanson writes so the reader feels as if they are experiencing the sights and sounds of the train and cities.

As Lincoln’s train traveled northwest in May 1865, Jefferson Davis fled southwest. The collapse of the Confederacy followed him until he was captured in Georgia. Unlike Lincoln, Davis’s journey was far from over: he spent several years in prison and was released to live out his life a free man.

The Place 


Springfield, Illinois is three and a half hours southwest of Chicago. Besides being the state capitol, the only other distinction is Abraham Lincoln’s home and final resting place. The Old State Capitol and the row of shops facing it are preserved as if Lincoln still walked the streets to his law office. The building is a reconstruction of the original, but it is hard to tell. Visitors can walk into the Hall of Representatives, Senate Chamber, and Supreme Court. The Hall of Representatives is where Lincoln delivered his “House Divided” speech and where his body lay in state. Springfield was the smallest and last town on the funeral train’s route, but the people made sure to welcome their Lincoln back. Seventy-five thousand people walked past the open casket in the only twenty-four hour viewing. 



Cemeteries and tombs aren’t typically on my list of places to see; but of the few I have visited, Lincoln’s Tomb is the most impressive. It is 117 ft. tall and the obelisk towers over you. More like a building than a tomb, you can walk into the structure and file past where the Lincolns are buried. Because of a plot to kidnap his remains, Lincoln is actually ten feet underground.  

Accomplice or Bystander?

“By the summer of 1865, practically every American knew who Mary Surratt was. To them she was either a hard-hearted, manipulative co-conspirator who aided in the plan to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln, or an innocent woman trapped in Booth’s murderous web and subjected to a vengeful and bloodthirsty military tribunal” (xi). 


The Book  

Most people know the name of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, yet not many know the names of John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators and the role they each played. Four of them were hanged for their crimes, a handful spent time in jail, and the rest remained free. The Assassin’s Accomplice by Kate Clifford Larson tells the story of one of those conspirators: Mary Surratt. It provides a brief biography and goes into detail regarding her trial and involvement with Booth.

Surratt owned a boarding house that was home to numerous Confederate spies and couriers, as well as a meeting place for Booth. It was here that Union troops raced to on the night of the assassination searching for Booth. Soon afterwards, Surratt was arrested and put on trial. Larson walks the reader through the evidence that began to stack up against Surratt and the trial proceedings, which led to her death. Interestingly, the North wanted revenge for the assassination, yet they balked at the first execution of a woman. Larson shows the contrast between a criminal mind and the cultural beliefs about women at that time.

I would also recommend the film The Conspirator which portrays the trial of Mary Surratt. 


The Place  

Today, visitors to Washington, DC can find the Surratt boarding house in the heart of Chinatown. Unlike Ford’s Theatre or the Peterson House, this building is not a museum or tourist destination. It is a Chinese restaurant with a historical marker. On the outside, the house looks almost exactly as it did when John Wilkes Booth led the conspiracy to kidnap or assassinate Abraham Lincoln. You can have lunch or dinner inside while imagining the conferences between Southern sympathizers. 


Seven minutes southwest of the Surratt boarding house is the Lincoln Memorial.
It looms over the city and draws many more visitors than the obscure boarding house. I would recommend visiting the Lincoln Memorial during the day and at night; both times offer completely different atmospheres. From the front, you can look east down the Capital Mall and see the Washington Monument and Capitol building. I would also recommend walking around back. Not many people do this, but you get a great view of Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River. Inside, Abraham Lincoln towers over visitors and words from his speeches are engraved in the walls. A staircase on the side leads to a small museum underneath that is dedicated to the history of the memorial.

The President is Dead

“What happened in Washington, DC, in the spring of 1865, and in the swamps and rivers, and the forests and fields, of Maryland and Virginia during the next twelve days, is far too incredible to have ever been made up” (Note to the Reader). 


The Book  

Eight hours. That is all the time John Wilkes Booth had to plan the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward. He succeeded in one assassination and was able to elude the full force of the United States military and citizens for twelve days.

In Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, author James L. Swanson relays the days between the assassination and Booth’s capture. Although it is nonfiction, the book reads like a historical novel. Swanson tells of the terror that gripped Washington, DC for twelve days and the uncertainty of a divided nation. The first two chapters’ detail Booth’s planning and the assassination. The following seven chapters follow the assassin as he races south. Swanson explores the nation’s obsession with the capture of Booth, the War Department’s attempts to round up hundreds of co-conspirators, and the failure to take Booth alive. 

The Place   

When I was four years old, my grandparents took me to visit Washington, DC for the first time. At that young age, I was very interested in all things about Abraham Lincoln. Naturally, my grandparents took me to visit Ford’s Theatre. The theatre is decorated exactly as it was on the night of Lincoln’s assassination, April 14, 1865. The auditorium doubles as a working theatre, putting on various plays throughout the year. In the basement is a museum dedicated to Lincoln, the Civil War, and the assassination. Artifacts include the Deringer pistol Booth used to shoot Lincoln and items from Booth’s flight south.

Just across the street is the Peterson House, where Lincoln died. Visitors can view the back room where Lincoln was laid on a bed too small for his tall frame. You can imagine the numerous doctors hovering over the president, doing their best to make him comfortable. The front parlor is where Mary Lincoln cried for her husband; the next room over was used by Secretary of War Stanton to begin the search for Booth.

Because Ford’s Theatre is a working theatre, there are times when visitors are not allowed in the auditorium. Tickets are also required to visit the theatre. Same-day tickets are free, but harder to get if it is a busy tourist season. You can purchase advance individual tickets online.