Lincoln As I Knew Him
Over the past decade, historians have gained a new respect for the value of oral
history and reminiscence. “For generations serious scholars had discounted this type of
historical data as being too easily flawed. It is the very nature of reminiscence that it is
history being perceived by individuals, and is therefore susceptible to the human traits of
bias, misconception, and utter falsification.” (Harold Holzer) However, work being done
by modern scholars has shown that used carefully and selectively, many historical facts and
incidents can be divined from these sources. The editor Harold Holzer, Guest Scholar, is
Vice President for Communications at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and author,
co-author, and editor of eighteen books on Abraham Lincoln and the political culture of
the Civil War, including The Confederate Image (1987). In addition to many books,
Harold has written some 290 articles for both popular magazines and scholarly journals.
A number of books have appeared recently that states reminiscences, recollections,
and personal remembrances of Abraham Lincoln. Many individuals who personally
interacted with Lincoln left behind records of their experiences in publications of all sorts.
In Lincoln as I Knew Him: Gossip, Tributes & Revelations from His Best Friends and
Worst Enemies, Harold Holzer has searched a number of these sources to paint a unique
and entertaining portrait of our 16th President. Holzer presents his selections by group
rather than topically or chronologically. For instance, the first chapter contains
reminiscences from family members; other chapters come from fellow lawyers, foreign
observers, authors, artists, and African-Americans.
Harold Holzer does an excellent job in selecting reminiscences and recollections
from many different, and often somewhat obscure sources. Personal journals and diaries,
periodicals and newspapers, and little used compilations of reminiscences all served as
sources. Holzer introduces each chapter, and prefaces each individual reminiscence. The
Lincoln that comes from Holzer's book is a man who had a natural curiosity and was eager
to learn from a variety of sources but especially from reading. It has long been recognized
that Lincoln was a self-taught man. Given this, Holzer strives to show that this was a
life-long process, and that reading more helped make Lincoln who he was.
Over all I think Harold Holzer did an excellent job on editing this book, I think it
put it together very nicely. Lincoln As I Knew Him: Gossip, Tributes & Revelations from
his best friends and worst enemies was very interesting. The different stories about
Lincoln were very interesting and I liked that more than just having just the authors
perspective. Another thing I liked about this book is that the information was written in a
leading up to and surrounding President Abraham Lincoln’s death. The purpose of this book is to
In Lincoln, one sees a willing amateur, one who has the ability to bring out the best in some men, and also learn from them (Williams 11). Williams gives us insight into Lincoln’s thought process and into who Lincoln really was. Williams superbly supports this with various examples and numerous interactions that Lincoln had with his Generals.... ... middle of paper ... ...
James Oakes gave a brilliant and unique perspective to a relationship between two well known historical figures of their time. Abraham Lincoln is a well-admired president for the United States because as Americans culture teaches that he was an honest and well-respected man. He heard about a young African American man, who had high aspirations for his life and the blossoming United States. This man’s name was Frederick Douglass. James Oakes demonstrates how both Douglass and Lincoln worked towards the abolishment of slavery and effectively producing better outcomes within antislavery politics.
middle of paper ... ... The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln. Chicago:
Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. Print.
...he former. Also, Lincoln shows a remarkable change in character from his ambitious ante bellum days, to his later years concurrent with the civil war, which are drenched in solemnity and even a little bit of religious zeal. It is interesting to watch his growth as a politician, from what could be considered a firebrand, insensitive to the issues at hand, to the unforthcoming fresh president fearful of civil war, to the previously mentioned zealous patriarch. As one can see, his personal and political growth goes hand in hand; being very difficult to separate. Ultimately, by examining Lincoln’s major speeches, one can arrive at a variety of conclusions, being that one can trace the changes of Lincoln’s character and political personality over the years, and determine as to what extent was Lincoln a democratic autocrat; the answer to the latter conclusion being hardly.
Robinson, Luther E. Abraham Lincoln as a man of letters. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: R. West, 1977. Print.
Without a doubt, there have been great presidents throughout American history. The subject of the matter is debatable about who has done the best job for the position. When you ask Americans who the greatest president ever to serve is, five names would be repetitive: Andrew Jackson, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is more than likely always at the top of the list. He is commonly known as the best president of the United States and I can't help but agree. President Lincoln has had numerous achievements, such as ending slavery, modernizing the economy, and preserving the Union.
There is no doubt that Abraham Lincoln is widely regarded as one of the great American presidents. The general public, when asked about Lincoln, will often tell the tale of a great man. Holding their head high, they will embark on the journey of a benevolent leader, praising the man who envisioned a new America: a great country of racial equality, and the pillar of human liberty. There are some, however, who have quite the opposite view.
During week nine of class, we watched the 1940 film, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, written by Robert E. Sherwood. As we continued to look at the most precise version of Abraham Lincoln each week, the one theme that stood out over the rest in this film was Lincoln’s reluctance throughout his political career, specifically on the issue of slavery. Although previous readings had glossed over this characteristic of Lincoln, Sherwood’s film even goes as far as to coordinate Abe’s reluctant attitude with the overall darkness of the background and clothing of the characters the more this trait is expressed. Mr. Sherwood’s choice to exemplify this aspect of President Lincoln was due to the World War Two era in which it was produced. Unlike previous weeks,
Dilorenzo, Thomas J.. The Real Lincoln: a new look at Abraham Lincoln, his agenda, and an unnecessary war. Roseville, Calif: Prima, 2002
This reputation describes him as a “self-made” man, coming from a difficult family life. In his early biographies Lincoln portrayed that he came from a poor and uneducated family in which he defied on his path to success. He claimed, “I was born and have ever remained in the most humble walks of life” (Hofstadter 122). By constantly putting himself down, and talking about his previous adversities he “placed himself with the poor, the aged, and the forgotten” (123). However, Hofstadter believed the reasoning behind Lincoln’s constant reminder of his struggles was just to gain sympathy and support in his political career. As historians later found out Lincoln’s family life gave him a much better start than he originally claimed (Winkle 2). Hofstadter set out to prove how Lincoln’s reputation as a “self-made” man was simply just a myth. By using his self-made ethic it advanced not only his political career, it had social and cultural functions as well. He exploited his humble beginnings and people flocked to his word. However, even if Lincoln being self-made was a myth, in believing so it helped to shape the course of Lincoln’s life, to leave his family, to become educated, and to go on to be one of the best president’s in our nation’s
Lincoln was a great leader to the American society; he fought for what he believed in. At a young age with the help of stepmom Lincoln pushed himself to read and helping neighbors. In the article my hero they wrote, “He loved his studies and books; and, in between working in the fields, doing odd-jobs for neighbors, and taking flatboats of cargo, he continued to read and educate himself” (Para 3). This is significant because it shows he dedication to his education and being able to help his neighbors and not just his family. Even though Lincoln came from a poor family he proved to his family and friends that he was not lazy. Lincoln being interested in books persuades himself to study law and further his skills to something useful. The article
In history classes, children are taught about Abraham Lincoln and how he served as the sixteenth president of the United States. What children may not be familiar with is how Abraham Lincoln obtained the name, “honest Abe.” Abraham Lincoln was a man that withheld an honest and trustworthy character. Dr. Melvin Banks describes that Abraham Lincoln obtained his nickname by “working as a store clerk and mistakenly took six cents too much from a customer, he walked three miles to return the customer’s money” (“Why”). Abraham Lincoln is a perfect example of an honest person. By returning the change to the woman, Lincoln’s true character was
Have you ever been lied to well if Abraham Lincoln was your friend he would never lie to you? All the struggles Lincoln went through may or may not have made him as kind and thoughtful he was as a kid. The central idea BackWoods Boy by Freedman and Honest Abe by Radner have very similar ways of developing both of three central ideas by showing how Lincoln acted and in both passages they described Lincoln as very kind. but they also had two very different views of the BackWoods Boy showed his childhood and how his life was and how he got into politics. HA just focused on his life in the store and what Lincoln would do to be fair and not cheap out a customer. In paragraph one I will write about the similarities.