Chapter 1 Flashcards
Describe Lincoln
Great leader
Imperfect human being
Vigorous man
Beset by personal and physical troubles
Lincoln was what number president
16th
Material in book drawn from
Lincolns personal papers and newly discovered legal practice
Author
David Herbert Donald a retired harvard history professor
Describe book
Presidents rise from obscurity to heights of political glory
Lincolns personal and public life adversely affected each other
President felt events were beyond his control
Inexperienced ill prepared man grew into executive with political acumen
Moral greatness
Copyright
1995
Lincoln quote in preface
I claim to not have controlled events but confess plainly that they have controlled me. April 4, 1864 to hodges
Which presidents comments influenced the author
JFK felt nobody had the right to judge lest he sat in the chair
Biography is therefore written from what point of view
Lincolns using the information and ideas available to him at the time.
Licolns biographers
Nicola and hay in 1890 papers sealed til 1947
This books focus is on
Lincoln who was indirectly connected to social and economic changes of the time…it is not a civil war book, or confederacy or military as he would have not known all about this
Lincoln’s problems
Unquenchable ambition Mind numbing labor in law practice Tempestuous marriage Repeated defeats Chance often shaped life All balanced but his ability for growth Author believes our greatest president
Inaugural pledge was not to
Interfere with slavery but he moved towards emancipation (which along with black soldiers had become a necessity)
Define sagacity
.
Lincoln felt destiny was controlled by
A higher power
Turned away from orthodox christianity becuase of
Frontier evangelism
Came to believe in the doctrine of necessity
The human mind is impelled to action
Or held in rest by some power
Over which the mind has no control
Limcolms partner
William herndon
Lincolns positive traits
Tolerance Compassion Willingness to overlook mistakes Also A little bit fatalist A little bit like those who believed predetermined (calvanists) yet still worked for the better of self family and world
Pragmatic ..if something was not fated to work try something else
My policy is to have
No policy….like a river pilot just steer from point to point…preferred to respond to the action of others