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4.0
The speech Lincoln gave at New York's Cooper Institute in February of 1860 made him President. Harold Holzer tells the story of how Lincoln came to be invited to make this trip East, his research into the speech, and its immediate and longer-term aftereffects. He also includes the speech itself, of course, and good analysis of what was in the speech and why it was so important.
The speech had three parts: the first was an answer to some comments Stephen Douglas had made about the founders and slavery, the second was a response to charges by the Democrats in the South that the Republicans were "sectional" and the third a more impassioned hope that "right makes might" in the struggle. It's a fascinating speech, and the longest of Lincoln's famous speeches. Holzer's account of its delivery puts you right there, mostly in the words of those who heard it, and the same is true of the whirlwind set of speeches he made in the weeks after, as he toured New England.
There is so much to be said about Lincoln, it's good to read something relatively tightly focused but so important.
The speech had three parts: the first was an answer to some comments Stephen Douglas had made about the founders and slavery, the second was a response to charges by the Democrats in the South that the Republicans were "sectional" and the third a more impassioned hope that "right makes might" in the struggle. It's a fascinating speech, and the longest of Lincoln's famous speeches. Holzer's account of its delivery puts you right there, mostly in the words of those who heard it, and the same is true of the whirlwind set of speeches he made in the weeks after, as he toured New England.
There is so much to be said about Lincoln, it's good to read something relatively tightly focused but so important.
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