Abraham Lincoln Book Review

In “The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln,” Phillip Shaw Paludan argues that even though Abraham Lincoln faced unparalleled challenges, Lincoln was America’s greatest president as he preserved the Union and freed the slaves. According to Paludan, Lincoln’s greatness exceeds that of all other American presidents as Lincoln’s presidential service was remarkable in both the obstacles he faced as well as the ways in which he overcame them. Before accepting the distinguished chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois, Springfield, Paludan was a professor of history at the University of Kansas for over 30 years. Paludan has authored several books including Victims: A True Story of the Civil War and A People’s Contest: The Union and Civil

War. In fact, Paludan received the Lincoln Prize regarding his study of Lincoln’s presidency. In his analysis, Paludan claims that Lincoln is remembered for his determination and character along with his vital role in preserving the Union and freeing the slaves. Overall, in his analysis, Paludan successfully argues that Lincoln’s greatness exceeds that of all other presidents, making him America’s greatest president.
According to Paludan, each president in American history has worked to protect and defend the Constitution. Before taking office, each president is required to take an oath in which they state, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (634) However, of all the forty-four presidents who have served America, no other president in American history faced the enormous challenges and national crisis as did Lincoln. In fact, Paludan states that, “no president had larger challenges than Abraham Lincoln.” (643) Throughout his presidency, Lincoln endured immense challenges associated with the Civil War. In fact, the Civil War has been called “our greatest national trauma.” (632) However, Lincoln’s audacious leadership, determination, and character in a period of national crisis made him America’s greatest president.
Following Lincoln’s election to the presidency, eleven southern states chose to secede from the Union in order to form the Confederate States of America. At the time, the South depended on slavery to support their way of life. In fact, “to protect slavery the Confederate States of America would challenge the peaceful, lawful, orderly means of changing governments in the United States, even by resorting to war.” (635) Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong and he realized that slavery was bitterly dividing the country. Not only was slavery dividing the nation, but slavery was also endangering the Union, hurting both black and white people and threatening the processes of government. At first, Lincoln’s goal was to save the Union in which “he would free none, some, or all the slaves to save that Union.” (634) However, Lincoln realized that “freeing the slaves and saving the Union were linked as one goal, not two optional goals.” (634) Therefore, Lincoln’s primary goal was to save the Union and in order to save the Union, Lincoln had to free the slaves. In fact, Paludan states that, “freeing the slaves, more precisely ending slavery, was the indispensable means to saving the Union.” (634) However, Paludan states that, “slave states understood this; that is why the seceded and why the Union needed saving.” (634)
According to Paludan, “one of his accomplishments, the one that took most of his time, was fighting and winning a war.” As previously mentioned, the eleven southern states saw Lincoln as a threat and chose to secede from the Union.

Therefore, Lincoln was faced with monumental challenges regarding the outbreak of the Civil War. However, Lincoln was a bold and courageous leader. In order to preserve the Union and win the war, Lincoln carefully chose his generals, gathered the armies, and even set the overall strategy of the war. In fact, Lincoln “helped to gather the resources that would maintain the Union economy and that would enable the Union military to remain strong and unrelenting.” (635) According to Paludan, “this more perfect Union was achieved chiefly through an extraordinary outreach of national authority.” (636) However, Lincoln was not the only one who contributed to the Union’s win. Over 2 million Union soldiers, along with the working men and women of the Union, fought to achieve Lincoln’s goals of saving the Union and freeing the slaves. In his analysis, Paludan mentions that even “managers and entrepreneurs organized the resources that helped gain the victory.” (634) After the Union’s victory, men, women and children no longer were they denied their humanity. According to Paludan, “no longer could men, women, and children be bought and sold: treated as things with out ties to each other, without the capacity to fulfill their own dreams.” (636) Not only was

slavery dead, but Lincoln succeeded in preserving the unity of the nation. In fact, the ratification of the thirteenth amendment ended slavery throughout the nation while protecting civil rights and suffrage. Overall, Paludan provides a compelling analysis as he successfully argues that Lincoln was America’s greatest president.
Contrary to Paludan, Melvin E.

Bradford, author of “Remembering Who We Are: Observations of a Southern Conservative, ineffectively argues that Lincoln overstepped and abused his authority as president as well as commander-in-chief during the Civil War. Bradford sharply critiques Lincoln as Lincoln destroyed the republican goals created by the Founding Fathers by abusing his presidential powers. According to Bradford, “Lincoln began his tenure as a dictator when between April 12 and July 4 of 1861, without interference from Congress, he summoned militia, spent millions, suspended law, authorized recruiting, decreed a blockade, defied the Supreme Court, and pledged the nation’s credit.” (640) In fact, Bradford goes as far as calling Lincoln dishonest while characterizing him to a “cynical politician.” (632) However, during the initial stages of Lincoln’s presidency, the country was in a national crisis; therefore, Lincoln was determined to fulfill the oath of office he took in order to preserve the Union. According to Paludan, “Lincoln kept his oath by leading the nation, guiding it, insisting that it keep on with the task of saving the Union and freeing the slaves.” (634) In a time of national crisis, Lincoln used every means necessary as provided by the Constitution to fulfil his duty as president. In fact, “historians consistently have rated Lincoln the nation’s best chief executive.” (633) During his presidency, Lincoln was faced with immense challenges. Without Lincoln’s

determination to preserve the Union, America would be quite different from how it is now.
In conclusion, Paludan successfully argues that Lincoln was America’s greatest president as Lincoln’s greatness exceeds that of all other American presidents. In fact, Paludan states that, “because of the Lincoln presidency the constitutional system carried promises of equality, and the processes to bring those promises to life endured.” (637) Throughout his presidency, Lincoln faced enormous challenges regarding the Civil War. In fact, Paludan states that, “certainly Lincoln extended presidential power beyond any limits seen before his time-the war demanded that.” (636) As president, it was Lincoln’s responsibility to preserve the Union. Lincoln fulfilled his oath of office by guiding and leading the nation in a time of national crisis. Lincoln’s determination and character kept the Union alive during the darkest days of the Civil War. According to Paludan, Lincoln’s presidential service was remarkable in both the obstacles he faced along with the ways in which he overcame the obstacles. Overall, Paludan offers a convincing analysis as he effectively argues that Lincoln was America’s greatest president.