Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861

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Abraham Lincoln first demonstrated his determination and leadership in the Great Secession Winter -- the four months between his election in November 1860 and his inauguration in March 1861 -- when he rejected compromises urged on him by Republicans and Democrats, Northerners and Southerners, that might have preserved the Union a little longer but would have enshrined slavery for generations. Though Lincoln has been criticized by many historians for failing to appreciate the severity of the secession crisis that greeted his victory, Harold Holzer shows that the presidentelect waged a shrewd and complex campaign to prevent the expansion of slavery while vainly trying to limit secession to a few Deep South states.

During this most dangerous White House transition in American history, the country had two presidents: one powerless (the president-elect, possessing no constitutional authority), the other paralyzed (the incumbent who refused to act). Through limited, brilliantly timed and crafted public statements, determined private letters, tough political pressure, and personal persuasion, Lincoln guaranteed the integrity of the American political process of majority rule, sounded the death knell of slavery, and transformed not only his own image but that of the presidency, even while making inevitable the war that would be necessary to make these achievements permanent.

Lincoln President-Elect is the first book to concentrate on Lincoln's public stance and private agony during these months and on the momentous consequences when he first demonstrated his determination and leadership. Holzer recasts Lincoln from an isolated prairie politician yet to establish his greatness, to a skillful shaper of men and opinion and an immovable friend of freedom at a decisive moment when allegiance to the founding credo "all men are created equal" might well have been sacrificed.

What Customers Say About Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861:

Anyone who is intersted in Lincoln and "Sucessionitis", should read this book. Only drawback is Holtzers bias toward Lincoln.

Slavery was a major point of contention. Mr. He would endure a grueling number of speeches and appearances. Of interest was Lincoln's friendship with Democrat Stephen Douglas - "The Little Giant." Douglas was a skillful lawyer and his Illinois nemesis.

Congressman, and then back to small town lawyer - representing businessmen and railroad clients. In the end, William Seward (who was a former N.Y. Douglas as a Democrat supported the southern cause. Mr.

Baltimore at the time was leaning towards the Confederacy.Another interesting discussion came when Mr. Holzer provided the reader with a "must read" book that casts Lincoln as an ambitious and motivated lawyer who was destined to transform party politics. Lincoln's early life was chronicled to show his human side (good and bad). Lincoln would go on and win the nomination at the convention in Chicago in May, 1860. In the early political life, Lincoln was viewed as an unsophisticated, country circuit lawyer who built political relationships with his dry humor and story telling. He never returned to his hometown alive. The Douglas - Lincoln rivalry would go on for many years. Holzer explained the dilemma that Lincoln faced.

Lincoln won a seat in the U.S. Many people flocked to Illinois (and wrote crazy letters) to beg for government appointments. (bypassing Baltimore, MD) due to a probable southern mob attack. However, their historic debates and competitiveness foreshadowed (at the micro and macro levels) the economic and political divisiveness of the antebellum period. This idea came from a little girl in New York whom Lincoln would briefly visit during his (arduous twelve day) pre-inauguration train trip (from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Penn., NY, NJ, back to Penn. The author's methodical tracking of Lincoln's early life cast a new light onto the image of this famous politician.

To many southerners, Lincoln's election meant war. Ultimately, his cabinet developed after hard-nosed discussions, delays, and personality clashes with the party bosses. Fortunately, many speeches where written with multiple copies (by his personal secretaries) so they could be submitted for printing or private comments (even as editorials). Even when he was "bit by the political bug," his one term in the U.S. His quick thinking mind allowed him to listen to reason (by his trusted advisers and body guard), and change his inaugural travel plans. Lincoln had a strained family life while on the court circuit. Lincoln trusted his diplomatic skills.

While working as a lawyer he was neither well known nor on anyone's list of potential political candidates. Mr. House of Representatives in 1846. It is debatable if Lincoln could have prevented hostilities.There are many detailed stories of Lincoln's family, personal, and political relationships in this book. Often, Lincoln camped out in the state legislative building in Springfield, Illinois for most of the four months prior to his February, 1861 departure. Overall, Mr. Lincoln was against many of the southern tenets, but he was not totally against the issue of slavery. While President Buchanan (a democrat) was a "lame duck," President-elect Lincoln chose not to interfere with his decision-making (and lack of action) when it came to critiquing the Confederacy and the economic crisis brewing.

This is where the country became aware of his name. oration tour. Holzer did a wonderful job bringing the reader into the book. His political life was a transformation from the old Whig party to the (newly created) Republican Party. Also, as President-elect, he endured swarms of people invading his personal and family (home) life. Lincoln left Pennsylvania surreptitiously on an overnight train to Washington, D.C. Back then, the incoming President would personally interview and recommend key positions. Finally, Lincoln bested Douglas by winning the presidency - even with a minority of the popular vote.

His most cherished speech (the inaugural address) was a closely guarded secret. Douglas trumped Lincoln and won the Senate seat (in 1858). Congress (1847 to 1849) was unremarkable - if not unnoticed. Holzer was clever to explain the use of photography and sculpturing (by local artisans) to capture Lincoln's physical and aesthetic transformation from prairie lawyer "Honest Abe" and "The Rail Splitter" to the new "Father Abe." Lincoln's marketing gimmick was simply to grow a beard and longer hair.

To move the reader through the maze of background information, the author developed the political and societal chain of events showing Lincoln's political development from Flatboat man [essentially rafts], to militia man [during the Blackhawk Indian war], local postmaster, small town lawyer, Illinois state legislative representative, U.S. He was gone from home for months. Douglas would die shortly after Lincoln's term began. He often overlooked petty and personality differences between his cabinet members - but skillfully played his hand when he needed to make an example out of one of them. It was Lincoln's humble leadership style (within this coalition building) that defeated his presidential opponents in the 1860 election - even the popular southerner and the Vice-President (under Buchanan) John Breckinridge of Kentucky.The author also worked hard to dig into Lincoln as an ordinary, entrepreneurial man. His analysis of primary source correspondences truly made the book an enjoyable read. All of this helped to magnify Lincoln's obscure life and his rise to political greatness.

Lincoln went to great lengths to avoid fanning southern emotions. Ultimately, Lincoln was a shrewd politician who could outmaneuver his opponents - yet do it gracefully.

Lincoln developed different relationship styles with Gideon Welles (Navy Secretary), William Stanton (the second War Secretary), Samuel Chase (Secretary of the Treasury), and Edward Bates (Attorney General). Lincoln relationships were not without conflict and anger.

Lincoln's thirst for something more important in federal politics is explained during the Cooper Union (N.Y). No presidential speech would change many decades of economic and political hostilities.

Holzer discussed in detail Lincoln's country savvy and coalition building when forming his original cabinet. governor and ran unsuccessfully for the nomination) would become the Secretary of State.

In my opinion, the most intimate topic pertained to Lincoln as a gifted (and convincing) speech writer. The book documented Lincoln's family strains, financial hardships, and political exhaustion.

There is much in this book that was new to me, particularly the lengthy train tour from the Midwest to Washington DC for the inaugural. Holzer gives you a real sense of Lincoln the man, as well as some of the people around him. I know it is a lot to read about a very short period of time, but I think you will find it most worthwhile.

The tendency might be to think that 4 months between election and inauguration could not yield that much but so many seeds of disaster and war to come were strewn across Lincoln's America that there is no loss for subject matter. I am not sure if I see Lincoln as a cynical personality.

Not just Lincoln at the time but a close examination of an epoch. This is an area of fascination for me.

Of course the complex character of Lincoln leads every writer to fill in blanks. It only cost one cent ( a Lincoln head penny) and postage.

How can I complain. Or is that my reading, no, I do believe that is how this author depicts him.

I would have gladly spent 5 dollars more on this book.

Having read several Lincoln biographies, I found this to be a unique and important contribution to Lincoln history. Lincoln handled the period between his election and inauguration better than many historians previously noted. I noted with interest also the strong sentiment inCongress to make slavery permanently untouchable in the South, even passing an original 13th ammendment that would have done this. Such was the fear of Civil War.The course our history took was not inevitable but "fundamentally astounding" as Lincoln says in his second inaugural address.