Biography of Abraham Lincoln: The Real Lincoln by Thomas J. DiLorenzo

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DiLorenzo, Thomas J. The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnessecary War. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 2002. Abraham Lincoln was elected as sixteenth president of the United States of America in 1861 and served until his assassination in 1865. He is viewed as a popular political figure and is known as the “Great Emancipator” for his role in freeing the slaves during the 1860s (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). He delivered the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 that declared “all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforth shall remain free” (Columbia University Press 2013, 1). Although the Proclamation made Lincoln seem like a hero, others would soon realize that the proclamation was a war tactic and in reality did not put an end to slavery. In The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas J. DiLorenzo, the reader will discover facts about President Lincoln that are not told in the average history book. Within the chapters of DiLorenzo’s book, he explains Lincoln’s true view on slavery, reasons for his political success, and why Lincoln encouraged war between the North and the South. The first chapter of this book is simply an introduction. It gives an overview of each chapter and helps the reader prepare for what to expect. Throughout the entire book, Thomas J. DiLorenzo explores the Lincoln presidency and his traits and accomplishments that are popular to the world. He reveals the truths behind these common myths that have been researched by many over the years. Chapter two expresses the uncertainties about how Lincoln truly felt about racial equality. Lincoln is often referred to as the “Great Emanc... ... middle of paper ... ...oln looked up to Whig Party member Henry Clay and set out to impose on the government the idea of his “American System”. He stated several times that he did not recognize slaves as equals and he was a white supremacist. During the war between the North and South, many innocent civilians were killed which made Lincoln look bad. Because of his manipulation of the American government, researchers recommend calling President the”Great Centralizer” instead of the beloved “Great Emancipator”. Works Cited Columbia University Press. "Emancipation Proclamation." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (Sept. 2013):1. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost 39004893. Blashfield, Jean F. "Abraham Lincoln." Abraham Lincoln (Jan. 2002):6-10. History Reference Center, EBSCOhost 75650202.

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