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And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite History & Biography (2022)The life and moral evolution of Abraham Lincoln, exploring why and how Lincoln confronted secession, threats to democracy, and the tragedy of slavery in order to expand the possibilities of America.
A president who governed a divided country has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization and political crisis. Abraham Lincoln was president when implacable secessionists gave no quarter in a clash of visions inextricably bound up with money, power, race, identity, and faith. He was hated and hailed, excoriated and revered. In Lincoln we can see the possibilities of the presidency as well as its limitations.
At once familiar and elusive, Lincoln tends to be seen in popular minds as the greatest of American presidents—a remote icon—or as a politician driven more by calculation than by conviction. This illuminating new portrait gives us a very human Lincoln—an imperfect man whose moral antislavery commitment was essential to the story of justice in America. Here is the Lincoln who, as a boy, was steeped in the sermons of emancipation by Baptist preachers; who insisted that slavery was a moral evil; and who sought, as he put it, to do right as God gave him light to see the right.
This book tells the story of Lincoln from his birth on the Kentucky frontier in 1809 to his leadership during the Civil War to his tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater on Good Friday 1865: his rise, his self-education through reading, his loves, his bouts of depression, his political failures, his deepening faith, and his persistent conviction that slavery must end. In a nation shaped by the courage of the enslaved of the era and by the brave witness of Black Americans of the nineteenth century, Lincoln’s story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a belligerent democracy, the durability of white supremacy in America, and the capacity of conscience to shape the maelstrom of events.
Lincoln was not all he might have been—few human beings ever are—but he was more than many men have ever been. We could have done worse. And we have. And, as Lincoln himself would readily acknowledge, we can always do better. But we will do so only if we see Abraham Lincoln—and ourselves—whole.
A president who governed a divided country has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization and political crisis. Abraham Lincoln was president when implacable secessionists gave no quarter in a clash of visions inextricably bound up with money, power, race, identity, and faith. He was hated and hailed, excoriated and revered. In Lincoln we can see the possibilities of the presidency as well as its limitations.
At once familiar and elusive, Lincoln tends to be seen in popular minds as the greatest of American presidents—a remote icon—or as a politician driven more by calculation than by conviction. This illuminating new portrait gives us a very human Lincoln—an imperfect man whose moral antislavery commitment was essential to the story of justice in America. Here is the Lincoln who, as a boy, was steeped in the sermons of emancipation by Baptist preachers; who insisted that slavery was a moral evil; and who sought, as he put it, to do right as God gave him light to see the right.
This book tells the story of Lincoln from his birth on the Kentucky frontier in 1809 to his leadership during the Civil War to his tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater on Good Friday 1865: his rise, his self-education through reading, his loves, his bouts of depression, his political failures, his deepening faith, and his persistent conviction that slavery must end. In a nation shaped by the courage of the enslaved of the era and by the brave witness of Black Americans of the nineteenth century, Lincoln’s story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a belligerent democracy, the durability of white supremacy in America, and the capacity of conscience to shape the maelstrom of events.
Lincoln was not all he might have been—few human beings ever are—but he was more than many men have ever been. We could have done worse. And we have. And, as Lincoln himself would readily acknowledge, we can always do better. But we will do so only if we see Abraham Lincoln—and ourselves—whole.
676 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2022
About the author
Jon Meacham
67 books2,904 followersJon Ellis Meacham is an American writer, reviewer, historian and presidential biographer who is serving as the Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral since November 7, 2021. A former executive editor and executive vice president at Random House, he is a contributing writer to The New York Times Book Review, a contributing editor to Time magazine, and a former editor-in-chief of Newsweek. He is the author of several books. He won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. He holds the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Endowed Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt University.
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August 22, 2022
For those predisposed to admire Abraham Lincoln, this book is like a warm, cozy blanket. It can be appreciated as a reassuring “Great Man of History” Dad book, which makes it destined to appear under many a Christmas tree this year.
But Meacham has a bigger purpose here than simply telling a comforting civic bedtime story. While the book is a throwback of sorts in its veneration of Lincoln, in many ways, this is the Lincoln book that our current times demand - it's a corrective that aims to restore Lincoln to his exalted status, quietly rebuking those on the far left who explicitly reject him, and those on the far right who more implicitly do so.
Much of the book is an argument against the newly-fashionable assertion that Lincoln was really a racist who cared far more about Union than abolition, and whose name and likeness should therefore be removed from places of public prominence. Meacham encourages these critics to understand Lincoln rather than cancel him, by emphasizing his morality, pointing out just how much he was able to accomplish, and how much better off we are today because of it.
“To chart Lincoln's lifelong moral and political course on slavery and equality is not to sing his praises as if he were the hero of an epic poem," Meacham acknowledges. Lincoln was not "otherworldly, or saintly, or savior-like, but... an imperfect man seeking to bring a more perfect Union into being."
After getting these necessary caveats out of the way, though, Meacham doesn’t actually spend much time examining Lincoln’s imperfections. Instead, he confronts and explains Lincoln's most problematic positions, one by one, such as:
● His comments on race that offend our modern sensibilities (these raise “difficult questions,” Meacham allows, before ultimately arguing that Lincoln was a man of his times who sometimes said unfortunate things about racial equality in order to make his antislavery views more palatable to a white, racist public).
● His support for colonizing freed slaves overseas (not because he wanted to be rid of them, but because he feared the races would never be able to peacefully coexist).
● His famous letter to Horace Greeley, in which he seemed to suggest he’d be fine with slavery if it meant the Union would be preserved (the letter “might seem callous but was in fact well calibrated," Meacham writes, since "without Union there could be no emancipation").
● And the selection of the racist Andrew Johnson as his re-election running mate (not Lincoln’s choice, Meacham points out, and it was a purely political calculation and not an endorsement of Johnson’s integrity).
Regardless of Lincoln’s personal views on race or the way he expressed himself, Meacham emphasizes that Lincoln stuck to his antislavery convictions, resisted compromise, and his determination never wavered, only his tactics did in the service of winning the war and preserving the Union.
So there you have it, Lincoln-statue-puller-downers.
But what of those on the other far end of the political spectrum, who lay claim to the party of Lincoln but reject his egalitarianism, embrace the Lost Cause and project a Christian nationalist view of politics and history? Meacham’s response to them is less explicit but no less potent, as he makes the case that such a worldview is, well, not very Christian at all.
While Lincoln was averse to organized religion and expressed skepticism of Christianity, Meacham points out (albeit repeatedly, and perhaps at more length than necessary) that he was a man of faith nonetheless, whose moralism was rooted in the Christian tradition and who increasingly used Biblical allusions to make his moral arguments. It was his moral opposition to slavery that fueled his rise to the presidency. And emancipation, the high point of his presidency, was the epitome of turning those moral beliefs into policy, of “doing the right thing, for practical reasons.”
Those who might turn to religion today to reject what Lincoln stood for - just as many Confederates did at the time - are, Meacham suggests, simply mistaken.
Throughout the book, whether he’s defending Lincoln from the left or from the right, the common thread is an emphasis on the morality behind Lincoln’s decision making. The political, legal and pragmatic calculations that he had to consider are not given as much attention. Generally, Meacham is more interested in Lincoln’s motives than his tactics.
So he’s quick to glide over parts of Lincoln’s life story that don’t directly support his thesis. Stories of Lincoln's youth come straight from William Herndon's telling and are recounted without caveats or question. Lincoln’s entire legal career is summarized in a couple of paragraphs. Meacham touches very lightly on Mary Lincoln’s moods and misdeeds, and only in the context of portraying Lincoln as having the patience of Job and the compassion of Christ himself in dealing with her. And Lincoln’s rise to the presidency is so swift, it ends up appearing inevitable - in one paragraph, he’s considered a dark horse for the Republican nomination; two paragraphs later, he’s the nominee.
This might be more forgiveable if the book’s narrower focus was more apparent up front. Instead, it’s rather less sweeping than its heft and description might suggest. The book does technically fulfill its promise to “chronicle the life of Abraham Lincoln,” in the sense that it hits all the highlights of a standard Lincoln biography, but it does so in a concise and fairly conventional way. That’s partly because the book’s 700+ pages contain only 400+ pages of narrative. Yes, that means there are about 300 pages of end notes and bibliographical material. Which is a lot! So it's certainly thoroughly-researched and well-documented, but that may be the largest source notes-to-narrative page count ratio I’ve ever seen in a book, even for Meacham. All of which is to say, the book is much shorter and more specific in the treatment of its subject than it may first appear.
The book’s introduction states that Lincoln "has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality." I suppose linking historical narratives to modern times is de rigueur for a work of popular history, so as to appeal to a mass readership who might otherwise be turned off by stories about a bunch of old dead guys from dusty old history books. But Meacham avoids making too many then-and-now comparisons, or offering “don’t worry, we’ve come through tough times before and we can do it again” platitudes.
But he does circle back to modern times in his conclusion, with a caution against “politics divorced from conscience.” We are living in very different times today than Lincoln did. But if this book helps to refute and drown out some of the noise from the anti-Lincoln extremes, perhaps there is something our modern-day leaders can learn from Lincoln after all.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of this book for review, ahead of its October 25th release.
But Meacham has a bigger purpose here than simply telling a comforting civic bedtime story. While the book is a throwback of sorts in its veneration of Lincoln, in many ways, this is the Lincoln book that our current times demand - it's a corrective that aims to restore Lincoln to his exalted status, quietly rebuking those on the far left who explicitly reject him, and those on the far right who more implicitly do so.
Much of the book is an argument against the newly-fashionable assertion that Lincoln was really a racist who cared far more about Union than abolition, and whose name and likeness should therefore be removed from places of public prominence. Meacham encourages these critics to understand Lincoln rather than cancel him, by emphasizing his morality, pointing out just how much he was able to accomplish, and how much better off we are today because of it.
“To chart Lincoln's lifelong moral and political course on slavery and equality is not to sing his praises as if he were the hero of an epic poem," Meacham acknowledges. Lincoln was not "otherworldly, or saintly, or savior-like, but... an imperfect man seeking to bring a more perfect Union into being."
After getting these necessary caveats out of the way, though, Meacham doesn’t actually spend much time examining Lincoln’s imperfections. Instead, he confronts and explains Lincoln's most problematic positions, one by one, such as:
● His comments on race that offend our modern sensibilities (these raise “difficult questions,” Meacham allows, before ultimately arguing that Lincoln was a man of his times who sometimes said unfortunate things about racial equality in order to make his antislavery views more palatable to a white, racist public).
● His support for colonizing freed slaves overseas (not because he wanted to be rid of them, but because he feared the races would never be able to peacefully coexist).
● His famous letter to Horace Greeley, in which he seemed to suggest he’d be fine with slavery if it meant the Union would be preserved (the letter “might seem callous but was in fact well calibrated," Meacham writes, since "without Union there could be no emancipation").
● And the selection of the racist Andrew Johnson as his re-election running mate (not Lincoln’s choice, Meacham points out, and it was a purely political calculation and not an endorsement of Johnson’s integrity).
Regardless of Lincoln’s personal views on race or the way he expressed himself, Meacham emphasizes that Lincoln stuck to his antislavery convictions, resisted compromise, and his determination never wavered, only his tactics did in the service of winning the war and preserving the Union.
So there you have it, Lincoln-statue-puller-downers.
But what of those on the other far end of the political spectrum, who lay claim to the party of Lincoln but reject his egalitarianism, embrace the Lost Cause and project a Christian nationalist view of politics and history? Meacham’s response to them is less explicit but no less potent, as he makes the case that such a worldview is, well, not very Christian at all.
While Lincoln was averse to organized religion and expressed skepticism of Christianity, Meacham points out (albeit repeatedly, and perhaps at more length than necessary) that he was a man of faith nonetheless, whose moralism was rooted in the Christian tradition and who increasingly used Biblical allusions to make his moral arguments. It was his moral opposition to slavery that fueled his rise to the presidency. And emancipation, the high point of his presidency, was the epitome of turning those moral beliefs into policy, of “doing the right thing, for practical reasons.”
Those who might turn to religion today to reject what Lincoln stood for - just as many Confederates did at the time - are, Meacham suggests, simply mistaken.
Throughout the book, whether he’s defending Lincoln from the left or from the right, the common thread is an emphasis on the morality behind Lincoln’s decision making. The political, legal and pragmatic calculations that he had to consider are not given as much attention. Generally, Meacham is more interested in Lincoln’s motives than his tactics.
So he’s quick to glide over parts of Lincoln’s life story that don’t directly support his thesis. Stories of Lincoln's youth come straight from William Herndon's telling and are recounted without caveats or question. Lincoln’s entire legal career is summarized in a couple of paragraphs. Meacham touches very lightly on Mary Lincoln’s moods and misdeeds, and only in the context of portraying Lincoln as having the patience of Job and the compassion of Christ himself in dealing with her. And Lincoln’s rise to the presidency is so swift, it ends up appearing inevitable - in one paragraph, he’s considered a dark horse for the Republican nomination; two paragraphs later, he’s the nominee.
This might be more forgiveable if the book’s narrower focus was more apparent up front. Instead, it’s rather less sweeping than its heft and description might suggest. The book does technically fulfill its promise to “chronicle the life of Abraham Lincoln,” in the sense that it hits all the highlights of a standard Lincoln biography, but it does so in a concise and fairly conventional way. That’s partly because the book’s 700+ pages contain only 400+ pages of narrative. Yes, that means there are about 300 pages of end notes and bibliographical material. Which is a lot! So it's certainly thoroughly-researched and well-documented, but that may be the largest source notes-to-narrative page count ratio I’ve ever seen in a book, even for Meacham. All of which is to say, the book is much shorter and more specific in the treatment of its subject than it may first appear.
The book’s introduction states that Lincoln "has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality." I suppose linking historical narratives to modern times is de rigueur for a work of popular history, so as to appeal to a mass readership who might otherwise be turned off by stories about a bunch of old dead guys from dusty old history books. But Meacham avoids making too many then-and-now comparisons, or offering “don’t worry, we’ve come through tough times before and we can do it again” platitudes.
But he does circle back to modern times in his conclusion, with a caution against “politics divorced from conscience.” We are living in very different times today than Lincoln did. But if this book helps to refute and drown out some of the noise from the anti-Lincoln extremes, perhaps there is something our modern-day leaders can learn from Lincoln after all.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of this book for review, ahead of its October 25th release.
November 14, 2022
“Lincoln’s acceptance of the moral case against slavery and his rejection of the passivity of Calvinistic predestination would help determine the course of his life, and of the nation’s.”
“In life, Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political – a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law.”
This is an extensively researched account of an American president faced with a polarized nation. It explores how he grew as a man as his principles, conscience and religious beliefs coalesced. I have read other Lincoln biographies so I was familiar with a lot of this material, but this book took a slightly different approach to Lincoln’s complicated story. He was melancholy, shy, brilliant, ambitious, tender hearted and (fortunately for the country) amazingly steadfast in the face of opposition. “The world shall know that I will keep my faith to friends & enemies, come what will.”
I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. I also listened to the audiobook (excellently narrated by the author), which ended at about the 41% point of the ebook. The rest of the ebook contains Source Notes and a Bibliography.
“In life, Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political – a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law.”
This is an extensively researched account of an American president faced with a polarized nation. It explores how he grew as a man as his principles, conscience and religious beliefs coalesced. I have read other Lincoln biographies so I was familiar with a lot of this material, but this book took a slightly different approach to Lincoln’s complicated story. He was melancholy, shy, brilliant, ambitious, tender hearted and (fortunately for the country) amazingly steadfast in the face of opposition. “The world shall know that I will keep my faith to friends & enemies, come what will.”
I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. I also listened to the audiobook (excellently narrated by the author), which ended at about the 41% point of the ebook. The rest of the ebook contains Source Notes and a Bibliography.
May 31, 2024
Meacham shows us how Lincoln was shaped by his faith in God, belief in moral justice, love of politics, political realism, and ambition. He tells us about the people, books and ideas that influenced Lincoln’s thinking. Meacham covers the basic facts of Lincoln’s life but more importantly he describes how Lincoln’s character formed and evolved, how he could become the man that stood firm in his moral convictions, and yet be a political pragmatist that could turn those convictions into action, saving the Union and emancipating the slaves. As Meacham points out Lincoln was not perfect. The ideas he started with often took time to mature. But Lincoln had an outstanding ability to grow, to patiently adjust and to carry a nation along with him. Constantly criticized from all sides and receiving death threats daily, Lincoln had the fortitude and steady hand to see him through. Meacham rightly focuses the book on Lincoln’s moral imperative, human rights for everyone, in this insightful account. My notes follow.
Growing up in a poor religious anti-slavery household led to his faith and moral convictions particularly his opposition to slavery. Witnessing slaves chained together, transported like cattle and being sold repulsed him. Despite a heavy workload on the family farm, he always found time to read encouraged by his stepmother. With only one year of school, he was largely self-taught. He was self-directed, ambitious, and attracted to politics. Lincoln went on pass the state bar, get elected four times to the Illinois state legislature, and become an active campaigner for William Henry Harrison in the 1840 election. He pleased crowds with his skillful oratory and become known to a wider audience. He had a manner that drew people to him despite people thinking he was awkward and unattractive. Meacham describes Lincoln’s evolving anti-slavery stance amid the shifting politics of the 1830s as the country became increasingly polarized.
Meacham shows Lincoln’s compromises in his love life. He became engaged to a woman he loved who sadly became ill and died sending him into depression to which he was prone. He recovered and moved on. He wanted an educated woman from an established family, important to a political career, and along came Mary Todd who wanted to marry someone who would be President. He may not have loved her but their politics and ambition matched and they married. Unfortunately, she was erratic and likely bipolar leading to a difficult marriage. Meacham illustrates how important politics and ambition were in Lincoln’s life.
Lincoln admired Henry Clay and campaigned for him for President in 1844, again attracting attention. Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846 where he groped with the slavery question. Like Clay Lincoln tried to be pragmatic about slavery. He proposed an Act to gradually eliminate slavery in DC by paying owners who agreed, compensation for slaves they freed. This pleased neither side and was quickly dropped. Lincoln returned to Illinois and private practice after his term. Meacham discusses the people who were influencing Lincoln’s thinking in the 1840s-50s: Unitarian minister Theodore Parker who actively opposed slavery, Ralph Waldo Emerson who called on men to take charge of their lives and lead, Harriet Beecher Stowe who brought the world’s attention to the evil of slavery, and Robert Chamber’s 1844 book Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation which posited the evolution of men and nature, a world that was constantly changing.
Meacham outlines the escalation of the country’s division over slavery in the 1850’s. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act dismantling the 1820 Missouri Compromise was a call to action for both sides. Lincoln was “stunned.” It now looked likely that slavery would spread unchecked as emboldened Southern leaders saw expansion to new states and territories, to Cuba and beyond. The KS-NE Act spawned the Republican Party which Lincoln joined with other Whigs and anti-slavery people. At the Republican 1856 convention, Lincoln was nominated for VP coming in second. Remarkable since he wasn’t even at the convention. His ideas were resonating with other Republicans. But James Buchanan would win the election for the pro-slavery Democrats intensifying division at a time of increasing vitriol and violence. The 1857 Dred Scott Supreme Court decision denied all blacks, slave or free, any rights amping up tensions even further.
Meacham uses the historic debates against Senator Stephen Douglas in 1858 and Lincoln’s presidential nomination campaign in 1860 to portray his new firm anti-slavery position. Douglas was up for reelection. He had led the passage of the KS-NE Act. Lincoln running as a Republican held that the Union must become either all slave or all free or fall apart. Compromise could not save the Union. Lincoln proposed no slavery expansion and gradual elimination in slave states. He appealed to morality. He warned that while blacks were slaves now, if slavery became the law of the land, anybody’s rights could be taken away. Lincoln lost to Douglas and began preparing to run for President in 1860. He spoke to large audiences across the North and was well received. He went on to win the Republican nomination and 1860 presidential election facing a divided Democratic Party. South Carolina then seceded followed by other Southern states establishing the confederacy.
The threats and bitterness from pro-slavery leaders rose to new heights. Lincoln and his allies worried about the count of the electoral vote in Congress. If interrupted he might be denied the presidency. General Winfield Scott, in charge of the Army, stepped forward and sent troops and artillery to the capital that day to prevent any interference. Lincoln snuck into the capital at night to avoid assassination attempts and was sworn in on march 4th, 1861. The disinformation campaign in the South spread numerous conspiracy theories about Lincoln and his intentions riling up the public. Pro-slavery leaders used this to keep support for the war they planned to fight. Many parallels to political divisions today.
President Lincoln walked a fine line on slavery. His policy was one of containment, no expansion, but he refused to interfere in states where it already existed, Union or rebel. The Union Army in rebel states was authorized to treat slaves as contraband (property) that they could seize as needed, but not free. Lincoln caught continual flak from abolitionists as well as those who still wanted to compromise on slavery. Most white Northerners, even those not approving of slavery, still considered themselves a superior race and did not want to work or associate with blacks as equals. Lincoln realized that he secured only forty percent of the vote in his election victory. The other sixty percent went to one of his three opponents who all had pro-slavery messages. The war had to be about preserving the Union, not slavery, if he was to keep his public support, keep the border states in the Union, and raise an army to take on the rebels. Many, if not most people, would not fight to make the black man their equal.
In 1862 Lincoln was distraught over the loss at Bull Run and other defeats in the East. Mary added to Lincoln’s stress spending heavily on clothes and furnishings and going secretly in debt. Grant’s victory at Shiloh cost the Union over 13,000 and the rebels over 10,000 casualties, alerting everyone to the magnitude of the conflict that was unfolding. Then Lincoln’s son Willie died affecting him and Mary profoundly. Lincoln turned to his pastor, Phineas Gurley, who he respected, for solace and deepened his faith in God. Lincoln was inspired to determine God’s plan for him and the nation. He became resolute in his anti-slavery position. He saw the war as both one to save the Union and bring moral justice in accordance with God’s plan for the nation. He freed the slaves in DC and signed a bill authorizing freeing slaves of rebels when they came under Union control including by the army. Lincoln then wrote the Emancipation Proclamation on his own and presented it to the cabinet. He said he wanted to give Blacks something to fight for, but his moral sense was clearly present also. Secretary of State William Seward made one suggestion that Lincoln accepted, to hold the Proclamation to present after a major victory. After pushing back Lee at Antietam, Lincoln claimed victory and signed the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The final Proclamation was issued January 1, 1863 freeing all slaves in rebel states.
In March 1863 Lincoln signed the Enrollment Act instituting a draft that met with resistance notably riots in New York. Finally in July 0f 1863 Lincoln had two important victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. That summer also saw the first combat of black soldiers and they performed well. Lincoln met with black activist Frederick Douglass at the White House in a cordial meeting where Lincoln acknowledged that he was held back in advancing black equality by the political reality of the deep and widespread white beliefs of black inferiority. Disappointed, Douglass was still impressed with Lincoln because he saw that Lincoln treated him as a man just as he would an important white guest. Douglas advocated for blacks to fight for the Union. His own two sons joined the army. In November Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. Meacham points out Lincoln invoked the Declaration of Independence to show that individual rights were given by God taking the high moral ground. Conversely slave holders claimed slavery was prescribed by God and used the bible and the constitution to support their self-interest. Lincoln’s address was inspired by Theodore Parker and George Bancroft.
In 1864 Lincoln faced re-election and increased flak from all sides. General McClellan ran against him promising immediate peace and rescinding emancipation to save the Union. At times Lincoln became depressed and felt he would lose. But he would not change his stance on slavery or victory. As an astute politician he talked in moderate tones, but didn’t change his message. In September everything changed, Sherman took Atlanta and Mobile fell to the Union. Now victory was in sight and the public mood turned positive. He easily won reelection.
In January 1865 Lincoln lobbied hard securing the passage in Congress of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery. In February 1865 Lincoln met with Confederate VP Stephens representing Jeferson Davis. Stephens proposed pausing the war for a joint operation against the French in Mexico which had some support in the Union. Lincoln would have none of it. Restoration of the Union and Emancipation were required for any peace agreement. Davis would have none of that. While still holding to his requirements, Lincoln afterwards proposed to his cabinet generous terms to offer Davis including $400 million in compensation for slaveholders and admission back into the Union with full rights. The cabinet unanimously rejected it and Lincoln let it go. It would have meant the South could have blocked the 14th and 15th Amendments, and possibly even the ratification of the 13th amendment, all critical for individual rights. Lincoln’s peace proposal and plans for reconstruction were at odds with his cabinet and Congress. Lincoln typically first tried to win over opponents with conciliatory measures. But he was firm in what he saw as a moral imperative, God given individual rights for everyone as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. As Meacham points out, it is hard to know how reconstruction would have played out if he had lived.
Lincoln’s message delivered through his personal conduct, the example he set, was one of his most powerful attributes. The White House was opened to visitors the evening of the 1865 inauguration. Coming through the door was Frederick Douglass with a lady guest. The guards at the door tried to escort Douglass and guest back out a side door because of their color, but he stood his ground asking another person who knew him to tell Lincoln he was being detained. The guards then decided to let them through. Lincoln saw Douglass enter the East Room and said “Here comes my friend Douglass. I am glad to see you.” Treating him with warmth and respect at a White House event for all to see.
Growing up in a poor religious anti-slavery household led to his faith and moral convictions particularly his opposition to slavery. Witnessing slaves chained together, transported like cattle and being sold repulsed him. Despite a heavy workload on the family farm, he always found time to read encouraged by his stepmother. With only one year of school, he was largely self-taught. He was self-directed, ambitious, and attracted to politics. Lincoln went on pass the state bar, get elected four times to the Illinois state legislature, and become an active campaigner for William Henry Harrison in the 1840 election. He pleased crowds with his skillful oratory and become known to a wider audience. He had a manner that drew people to him despite people thinking he was awkward and unattractive. Meacham describes Lincoln’s evolving anti-slavery stance amid the shifting politics of the 1830s as the country became increasingly polarized.
Meacham shows Lincoln’s compromises in his love life. He became engaged to a woman he loved who sadly became ill and died sending him into depression to which he was prone. He recovered and moved on. He wanted an educated woman from an established family, important to a political career, and along came Mary Todd who wanted to marry someone who would be President. He may not have loved her but their politics and ambition matched and they married. Unfortunately, she was erratic and likely bipolar leading to a difficult marriage. Meacham illustrates how important politics and ambition were in Lincoln’s life.
Lincoln admired Henry Clay and campaigned for him for President in 1844, again attracting attention. Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846 where he groped with the slavery question. Like Clay Lincoln tried to be pragmatic about slavery. He proposed an Act to gradually eliminate slavery in DC by paying owners who agreed, compensation for slaves they freed. This pleased neither side and was quickly dropped. Lincoln returned to Illinois and private practice after his term. Meacham discusses the people who were influencing Lincoln’s thinking in the 1840s-50s: Unitarian minister Theodore Parker who actively opposed slavery, Ralph Waldo Emerson who called on men to take charge of their lives and lead, Harriet Beecher Stowe who brought the world’s attention to the evil of slavery, and Robert Chamber’s 1844 book Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation which posited the evolution of men and nature, a world that was constantly changing.
Meacham outlines the escalation of the country’s division over slavery in the 1850’s. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act dismantling the 1820 Missouri Compromise was a call to action for both sides. Lincoln was “stunned.” It now looked likely that slavery would spread unchecked as emboldened Southern leaders saw expansion to new states and territories, to Cuba and beyond. The KS-NE Act spawned the Republican Party which Lincoln joined with other Whigs and anti-slavery people. At the Republican 1856 convention, Lincoln was nominated for VP coming in second. Remarkable since he wasn’t even at the convention. His ideas were resonating with other Republicans. But James Buchanan would win the election for the pro-slavery Democrats intensifying division at a time of increasing vitriol and violence. The 1857 Dred Scott Supreme Court decision denied all blacks, slave or free, any rights amping up tensions even further.
Meacham uses the historic debates against Senator Stephen Douglas in 1858 and Lincoln’s presidential nomination campaign in 1860 to portray his new firm anti-slavery position. Douglas was up for reelection. He had led the passage of the KS-NE Act. Lincoln running as a Republican held that the Union must become either all slave or all free or fall apart. Compromise could not save the Union. Lincoln proposed no slavery expansion and gradual elimination in slave states. He appealed to morality. He warned that while blacks were slaves now, if slavery became the law of the land, anybody’s rights could be taken away. Lincoln lost to Douglas and began preparing to run for President in 1860. He spoke to large audiences across the North and was well received. He went on to win the Republican nomination and 1860 presidential election facing a divided Democratic Party. South Carolina then seceded followed by other Southern states establishing the confederacy.
The threats and bitterness from pro-slavery leaders rose to new heights. Lincoln and his allies worried about the count of the electoral vote in Congress. If interrupted he might be denied the presidency. General Winfield Scott, in charge of the Army, stepped forward and sent troops and artillery to the capital that day to prevent any interference. Lincoln snuck into the capital at night to avoid assassination attempts and was sworn in on march 4th, 1861. The disinformation campaign in the South spread numerous conspiracy theories about Lincoln and his intentions riling up the public. Pro-slavery leaders used this to keep support for the war they planned to fight. Many parallels to political divisions today.
President Lincoln walked a fine line on slavery. His policy was one of containment, no expansion, but he refused to interfere in states where it already existed, Union or rebel. The Union Army in rebel states was authorized to treat slaves as contraband (property) that they could seize as needed, but not free. Lincoln caught continual flak from abolitionists as well as those who still wanted to compromise on slavery. Most white Northerners, even those not approving of slavery, still considered themselves a superior race and did not want to work or associate with blacks as equals. Lincoln realized that he secured only forty percent of the vote in his election victory. The other sixty percent went to one of his three opponents who all had pro-slavery messages. The war had to be about preserving the Union, not slavery, if he was to keep his public support, keep the border states in the Union, and raise an army to take on the rebels. Many, if not most people, would not fight to make the black man their equal.
In 1862 Lincoln was distraught over the loss at Bull Run and other defeats in the East. Mary added to Lincoln’s stress spending heavily on clothes and furnishings and going secretly in debt. Grant’s victory at Shiloh cost the Union over 13,000 and the rebels over 10,000 casualties, alerting everyone to the magnitude of the conflict that was unfolding. Then Lincoln’s son Willie died affecting him and Mary profoundly. Lincoln turned to his pastor, Phineas Gurley, who he respected, for solace and deepened his faith in God. Lincoln was inspired to determine God’s plan for him and the nation. He became resolute in his anti-slavery position. He saw the war as both one to save the Union and bring moral justice in accordance with God’s plan for the nation. He freed the slaves in DC and signed a bill authorizing freeing slaves of rebels when they came under Union control including by the army. Lincoln then wrote the Emancipation Proclamation on his own and presented it to the cabinet. He said he wanted to give Blacks something to fight for, but his moral sense was clearly present also. Secretary of State William Seward made one suggestion that Lincoln accepted, to hold the Proclamation to present after a major victory. After pushing back Lee at Antietam, Lincoln claimed victory and signed the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The final Proclamation was issued January 1, 1863 freeing all slaves in rebel states.
In March 1863 Lincoln signed the Enrollment Act instituting a draft that met with resistance notably riots in New York. Finally in July 0f 1863 Lincoln had two important victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. That summer also saw the first combat of black soldiers and they performed well. Lincoln met with black activist Frederick Douglass at the White House in a cordial meeting where Lincoln acknowledged that he was held back in advancing black equality by the political reality of the deep and widespread white beliefs of black inferiority. Disappointed, Douglass was still impressed with Lincoln because he saw that Lincoln treated him as a man just as he would an important white guest. Douglas advocated for blacks to fight for the Union. His own two sons joined the army. In November Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. Meacham points out Lincoln invoked the Declaration of Independence to show that individual rights were given by God taking the high moral ground. Conversely slave holders claimed slavery was prescribed by God and used the bible and the constitution to support their self-interest. Lincoln’s address was inspired by Theodore Parker and George Bancroft.
In 1864 Lincoln faced re-election and increased flak from all sides. General McClellan ran against him promising immediate peace and rescinding emancipation to save the Union. At times Lincoln became depressed and felt he would lose. But he would not change his stance on slavery or victory. As an astute politician he talked in moderate tones, but didn’t change his message. In September everything changed, Sherman took Atlanta and Mobile fell to the Union. Now victory was in sight and the public mood turned positive. He easily won reelection.
In January 1865 Lincoln lobbied hard securing the passage in Congress of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery. In February 1865 Lincoln met with Confederate VP Stephens representing Jeferson Davis. Stephens proposed pausing the war for a joint operation against the French in Mexico which had some support in the Union. Lincoln would have none of it. Restoration of the Union and Emancipation were required for any peace agreement. Davis would have none of that. While still holding to his requirements, Lincoln afterwards proposed to his cabinet generous terms to offer Davis including $400 million in compensation for slaveholders and admission back into the Union with full rights. The cabinet unanimously rejected it and Lincoln let it go. It would have meant the South could have blocked the 14th and 15th Amendments, and possibly even the ratification of the 13th amendment, all critical for individual rights. Lincoln’s peace proposal and plans for reconstruction were at odds with his cabinet and Congress. Lincoln typically first tried to win over opponents with conciliatory measures. But he was firm in what he saw as a moral imperative, God given individual rights for everyone as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. As Meacham points out, it is hard to know how reconstruction would have played out if he had lived.
Lincoln’s message delivered through his personal conduct, the example he set, was one of his most powerful attributes. The White House was opened to visitors the evening of the 1865 inauguration. Coming through the door was Frederick Douglass with a lady guest. The guards at the door tried to escort Douglass and guest back out a side door because of their color, but he stood his ground asking another person who knew him to tell Lincoln he was being detained. The guards then decided to let them through. Lincoln saw Douglass enter the East Room and said “Here comes my friend Douglass. I am glad to see you.” Treating him with warmth and respect at a White House event for all to see.
December 31, 2022
Jon Meacham brings us an important story about Abraham Lincoln in these polarized times. I have read many books about Lincoln but I did not know that there were fears that an attempt would be made to prevent the counting of the electoral votes and the declaration of Lincoln’s presidency. Federal troops were deployed to prevent such a disruption. The outgoing vice president, John C. Breckinridge, was a member of the opposing party and a loyal Southerner. Would he act with integrity and fulfill his Constitutional duties?
This book is well researched and documented and takes the reader from his birth in 1809 on the on the Kentucky frontier to his tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater on Good Friday in 1865. We learn about his relationship with his father and mother, his self-education through reading, his bouts of depression, and the women in his life. There were other women before he met and married Mary Todd.
This book was an eye opener. He supported colonizing freed slaves overseas because he feared the races would never be able to peacefully coexist. He was against slavery and never wavered or compromised. To preserve the Union the war must be won. How Lincoln dealt with the polarization in the country at his time was fascinating and gives the reader hope today.
This book is well researched and documented and takes the reader from his birth in 1809 on the on the Kentucky frontier to his tragic assassination at Ford’s Theater on Good Friday in 1865. We learn about his relationship with his father and mother, his self-education through reading, his bouts of depression, and the women in his life. There were other women before he met and married Mary Todd.
This book was an eye opener. He supported colonizing freed slaves overseas because he feared the races would never be able to peacefully coexist. He was against slavery and never wavered or compromised. To preserve the Union the war must be won. How Lincoln dealt with the polarization in the country at his time was fascinating and gives the reader hope today.
January 25, 2023
And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle was such an engaging book by one of my favorite historians, Jon Meacham. There were certain parallels to the fragile state of our democracy today and withstanding many assaults on this experiment. Abraham Lincoln has long been thought to be one our best presidents leading the country basically through four long years of the Civil War that had pitted our nation's citizens, one against the other. This was a president who led a divided country where the slaveholding South believed that it had God and history on its side. In the poignant words of Jon Meacham: "The fate of the Union, the possibilities of democracy, and the future of slavery, then, were the stake of a war that Abraham Lincoln chose to wage to total victory--or to defeat."
Abraham Linoln's story began in the forested interior of the nation in Kentucky in the first years of the nineteenth century on the American frontier. The Lincoln family later moved to Indiana where, as in Kentucky, the themes of antislavery were presented as religious arguments and sermons. A young Abraham Lincoln was steeped in the notions about the wrong of slavery and the rights of man as explained by Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. It was clear that young Lincoln had accepted the moral case against slavery from a young age. As a young boy, Lincoln's stepmother raised him to be a slender well behaved quiet boy. . . She was doubtless the first person that ever treated him like a human being." Formal schooling was sparse but young Abraham had a thirst for learning and an innate curiosity. Books were his means of escape and transcendance.
As a young man, Abraham Lincoln announced his candidacy for the Illinois state legislature. However, his disappointment in his loss was understandable but he vowed to return. Newly admitted to the bar, he moved to Springfield, Illinois. He and Mary Todd Lincoln had their first son, soon followed by a second son. As a personal aside, I loved the next years of Abraham Lincoln as he was a circuit lawyer and traveled throughout Illinois. Several years ago we spent a delightful week just meandering through Abraham Lincoln's judicial circuit and all of the places he frequented, including his law offices with William Herndon and the Springfield Courthouse and the home that he and Mary and his children loved in Springfield, Illinois. It was a humbling experience. But Lincoln longed for greater things as he had his expectations set on Washington, D.C.
On Monday, March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln emerged from the Presidential carriage with the text of his inaugural address in his hands as he gazed out upon a large audience. In this first Inaugaral Lincoln made his closing appeal:
As the the battles of the Civil War raged on, Lincoln won his second election. And Lincoln left no doubt that slavery must, and on his watch, would die.
And as we lived through the first few months of Lincoln's second term, we knew what the future held. Meacham takes us to Washington on Friday, April 14, 1865, as Lincoln is having coffee as he prepares to depart for Ford's Theatre, Lincoln carried his china cup placing it on the window sill.
Abraham Linoln's story began in the forested interior of the nation in Kentucky in the first years of the nineteenth century on the American frontier. The Lincoln family later moved to Indiana where, as in Kentucky, the themes of antislavery were presented as religious arguments and sermons. A young Abraham Lincoln was steeped in the notions about the wrong of slavery and the rights of man as explained by Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. It was clear that young Lincoln had accepted the moral case against slavery from a young age. As a young boy, Lincoln's stepmother raised him to be a slender well behaved quiet boy. . . She was doubtless the first person that ever treated him like a human being." Formal schooling was sparse but young Abraham had a thirst for learning and an innate curiosity. Books were his means of escape and transcendance.
As a young man, Abraham Lincoln announced his candidacy for the Illinois state legislature. However, his disappointment in his loss was understandable but he vowed to return. Newly admitted to the bar, he moved to Springfield, Illinois. He and Mary Todd Lincoln had their first son, soon followed by a second son. As a personal aside, I loved the next years of Abraham Lincoln as he was a circuit lawyer and traveled throughout Illinois. Several years ago we spent a delightful week just meandering through Abraham Lincoln's judicial circuit and all of the places he frequented, including his law offices with William Herndon and the Springfield Courthouse and the home that he and Mary and his children loved in Springfield, Illinois. It was a humbling experience. But Lincoln longed for greater things as he had his expectations set on Washington, D.C.
On Monday, March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln emerged from the Presidential carriage with the text of his inaugural address in his hands as he gazed out upon a large audience. In this first Inaugaral Lincoln made his closing appeal:
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
As the the battles of the Civil War raged on, Lincoln won his second election. And Lincoln left no doubt that slavery must, and on his watch, would die.
"In the fourth year of war, two hundred forty-five years after the arrival of the enslaved at Jamestown, eighty-eight years after the Declaration of Independence, and seventy-six years after the ratification of the Constitution, an American president insisted that a core moral commitment to liberty must survive the vicissitudes of politics, the prejudices of race, and the contests of interest. This is not to separate Lincoln's moral vision from his moral sensibilities--an impossibility--but to underscore that he was acting not only for the moment, not only for dominion in the arena, but for all time. His achievement is remarkable not only because he was otherworldly, or saintly, or savior-like, but because he was what he was--an imperfect man seeking to bring a more perfect Union into being."
And as we lived through the first few months of Lincoln's second term, we knew what the future held. Meacham takes us to Washington on Friday, April 14, 1865, as Lincoln is having coffee as he prepares to depart for Ford's Theatre, Lincoln carried his china cup placing it on the window sill.
"In that tumultuous spring of 1865, the mortal Lincoln would never return to claim his china cup in the bedroom window, nor would he peruse anew the clippings in his wallet. The world moved on, turning over again and again and again, for worse and for better. Now the immortal Lincoln sits not far from the room, and from the house, in which he proved that right does make might. There, in the heart of the capital on the National Mall, Abraham Lincoln remains, at once elevated and proximate, historic and humble, a source of strength for the struggle that seems to have no end."
December 11, 2022
“In 1908, in a wild and remote area of the North Caucasus, Leo Tolstoy, the greatest writer of the age, was the guest of a tribal chief “living far away from civilized life in the mountains.” Gathering his family and neighbors, the chief asked Tolstoy to tell stories about the famous men of history. Tolstoy told how he entertained the eager crowd for hours with tales of Alexander, Caesar, Frederick the Great, and Napoleon. When he was winding to a close, the chief stood and said, “But you have not told us a syllable about the greatest general and greatest ruler of the world. We want to know something about him. He was a hero. He spoke with a voice of thunder; he laughed like the sunrise and his deeds were strong as the rock….His name was Lincoln and the country in which he lived is called America, which is so far away that if a youth should journey to reach it he would be an old man when he arrived. Tell us of that man.”
The above quote is taken from Doris Kearns Goodwin's, "Team of Rivals:The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." In my opinion one of the greatest biographies on the Sixteen President of the United States. It is telling tale of how famous President Lincoln had become, but unlike the other men Tolstoy told the chief about, Lincoln's "deeds were strong as the rock."
Jon Meacham's "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle," is more like a memoir, a diary, written by this flawed but greatest of all presidents. It is so personal, that it left me shaken and next to tears. The research that went into this book is a testimony to Mr. Meacham's love and awe of this one of a kind president, leader, and commander. 260 pages of this book are simply reference and index notes.
Unlike any book I have read on Lincoln, this book explores the inner workings and beliefs of Lincoln. He possessed a moral compass that might sway occasionally, but in the end it always landed on the righteous and virtuous nature of the man... righteous and virtuous nature we wish in all our leaders and find in so, so few. That is not to say that Lincoln was not an acute politician and depending on the audience swayed from some of his profound beliefs. He understood politics as well as anyone.
He was a man profoundly influenced by the Bible and Christianity, and often quoted from the Bible when making speeches, yet one could not for a fact say that he believed in a God, yet it was passages from the Bible and the Declaration of Independence that formed the foundation of his humanity: That all men are created equal, and in the eyes of a all forgiven God that all men regardless of race, religion, and education deserved to be treated the same and should never to be shackled and involuntarily detained as property.
When greeting the famous, once enslaved, Frederick Douglass at the White House, Mr Douglass said, "That President Lincoln stood up and shook my hand as an equal."
While reading this great biography, I seriously wondered if any presidents of the United States even came close to the moral convictions of President Lincoln, or was he simply one of a kind like Babe Ruth. The only presidents that I could think of that even came close to Mr. Lincoln, were Presidents Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Joe Biden. Sadly, nearly 160 years after the death of President Lincoln, President Biden is facing a nation divided and like President Lincoln he believes that our country is strongest as a 'united country' not as a 'divided one.'
Mr. Meachan's biography of President Lincoln is a treasure.
The above quote is taken from Doris Kearns Goodwin's, "Team of Rivals:The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln." In my opinion one of the greatest biographies on the Sixteen President of the United States. It is telling tale of how famous President Lincoln had become, but unlike the other men Tolstoy told the chief about, Lincoln's "deeds were strong as the rock."
Jon Meacham's "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle," is more like a memoir, a diary, written by this flawed but greatest of all presidents. It is so personal, that it left me shaken and next to tears. The research that went into this book is a testimony to Mr. Meacham's love and awe of this one of a kind president, leader, and commander. 260 pages of this book are simply reference and index notes.
Unlike any book I have read on Lincoln, this book explores the inner workings and beliefs of Lincoln. He possessed a moral compass that might sway occasionally, but in the end it always landed on the righteous and virtuous nature of the man... righteous and virtuous nature we wish in all our leaders and find in so, so few. That is not to say that Lincoln was not an acute politician and depending on the audience swayed from some of his profound beliefs. He understood politics as well as anyone.
He was a man profoundly influenced by the Bible and Christianity, and often quoted from the Bible when making speeches, yet one could not for a fact say that he believed in a God, yet it was passages from the Bible and the Declaration of Independence that formed the foundation of his humanity: That all men are created equal, and in the eyes of a all forgiven God that all men regardless of race, religion, and education deserved to be treated the same and should never to be shackled and involuntarily detained as property.
When greeting the famous, once enslaved, Frederick Douglass at the White House, Mr Douglass said, "That President Lincoln stood up and shook my hand as an equal."
While reading this great biography, I seriously wondered if any presidents of the United States even came close to the moral convictions of President Lincoln, or was he simply one of a kind like Babe Ruth. The only presidents that I could think of that even came close to Mr. Lincoln, were Presidents Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Joe Biden. Sadly, nearly 160 years after the death of President Lincoln, President Biden is facing a nation divided and like President Lincoln he believes that our country is strongest as a 'united country' not as a 'divided one.'
Mr. Meachan's biography of President Lincoln is a treasure.
October 7, 2022
It is said that there are more books written about Abraham Lincoln than anyone but Jesus. I don't know if this is still true, but every time a new Lincoln biography is published it seems that some new angle has been discovered. Jon Meacham is an excellent historian and biographer. Given his interest in religion and spirituality, Meacham takes time to look at Lincoln through this lens. Lincoln believed in God, but never formally affliated with any religious sect. His final cause, to preserve the Union AND free the slaves, was a moral requirement for him. Lincoln believed the arc of history bent toward justice and put his life on the line to bend that arc just a bit more.
January 7, 2023
4.5 Stars
I'm trying to remember if I've read a book about Abraham Lincoln but I don't think I have since elementary school. A couple years ago I read book about John Wilkes Booth which was very good but not Abraham Lincoln. I obviously know alot about him and I've watched countless documentaries about him. I even watched that boring movie starring Daniel Day Lewis.
So since it appears I've been slacking on old honest Abe, what better book to read than one written by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jon Meacham. I know Mr Meacham through his many appearances on MSNBC and in Ken Burns documentaries. I've also read his biography of George HW Bush. Since I'm planning on reading at least 1 book about every President and im trying to read up the Founding Fathers Jon Meacham's work is a great place to start.
Whenever I hear our current political climate in the US described as the worst or most dangerous I always wonder if people have forgotten that 4 out 46 Presidents were assassinated and this country fought an actual war with itself. War you know with bullets and bombs. Not mean words on Twitter or Fox News. Now I know to some people January 6th 2021 was the worst thing ever but once again it was literally a bunch of white people(lots of them cops) throwing a temper tantrum. Now I don't doubt that the worst may be ahead of us but at the end of the day, this country has been through worse.
Things I Learned:
1. Abraham Lincoln's father may not have been his father
2. Arlington National Cemetery was built during the Civil War(I had never thought about when it was created)
3. After Lincoln's first win as President, many Southern states considered not certifying the election( why does sound familiar??)
4. People were really out here calling Abe ugly to his face. Unnecessary.
5. Abe was petty as fuck. I support that!
6. Lincoln only won reelection because of mail in voting...interesting.
I learned more things but I want yall to read this book so I can't tell yall the thing that shocked me.
And There Was Light is partly a Lincoln biography but it mostly focuses on his thoughts about Slavery. His family upbringing and how his father and the church he attended shaped his abolitionists leanings...even if Lincoln was always in favor 100% ending slavery. It also talks about discussions he had about sending freed slaves to places like Haiti or Liberia, because it was believed that white folks and Black folks just would be unable to live together( I think we're still trying to figure out if it's possible).
I'm obviously a fake history lover. I mean the fact that this the first Abraham Lincoln book I've read in probably 20 years. I'm a fraud and I'm turning in my history lover card. I'm a phony. I'm joking but I am sure that I've read an Abraham Lincoln book I just need to go through my shelves....but I need to read more. Team of Rivals is definitely on my tbr but if you know any great Lincoln biographies then drop them in the comments or send me a recommendation.
If you don't normally read books about History, I would not start with this one. It's dense and it's written in a way that supposes you already know alot about the Civil War and Lincoln. Most of the stuff I know about the Civil War, I learned from Ken Burns.
I'll probably read another Trump book but what President do you think I read about next?
Jon Meacham is a legend so I don't need to recommend his books but if you already love History than pick this book up.
I'm trying to remember if I've read a book about Abraham Lincoln but I don't think I have since elementary school. A couple years ago I read book about John Wilkes Booth which was very good but not Abraham Lincoln. I obviously know alot about him and I've watched countless documentaries about him. I even watched that boring movie starring Daniel Day Lewis.
So since it appears I've been slacking on old honest Abe, what better book to read than one written by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jon Meacham. I know Mr Meacham through his many appearances on MSNBC and in Ken Burns documentaries. I've also read his biography of George HW Bush. Since I'm planning on reading at least 1 book about every President and im trying to read up the Founding Fathers Jon Meacham's work is a great place to start.
Whenever I hear our current political climate in the US described as the worst or most dangerous I always wonder if people have forgotten that 4 out 46 Presidents were assassinated and this country fought an actual war with itself. War you know with bullets and bombs. Not mean words on Twitter or Fox News. Now I know to some people January 6th 2021 was the worst thing ever but once again it was literally a bunch of white people(lots of them cops) throwing a temper tantrum. Now I don't doubt that the worst may be ahead of us but at the end of the day, this country has been through worse.
Things I Learned:
1. Abraham Lincoln's father may not have been his father
2. Arlington National Cemetery was built during the Civil War(I had never thought about when it was created)
3. After Lincoln's first win as President, many Southern states considered not certifying the election( why does sound familiar??)
4. People were really out here calling Abe ugly to his face. Unnecessary.
5. Abe was petty as fuck. I support that!
6. Lincoln only won reelection because of mail in voting...interesting.
I learned more things but I want yall to read this book so I can't tell yall the thing that shocked me.
And There Was Light is partly a Lincoln biography but it mostly focuses on his thoughts about Slavery. His family upbringing and how his father and the church he attended shaped his abolitionists leanings...even if Lincoln was always in favor 100% ending slavery. It also talks about discussions he had about sending freed slaves to places like Haiti or Liberia, because it was believed that white folks and Black folks just would be unable to live together( I think we're still trying to figure out if it's possible).
I'm obviously a fake history lover. I mean the fact that this the first Abraham Lincoln book I've read in probably 20 years. I'm a fraud and I'm turning in my history lover card. I'm a phony. I'm joking but I am sure that I've read an Abraham Lincoln book I just need to go through my shelves....but I need to read more. Team of Rivals is definitely on my tbr but if you know any great Lincoln biographies then drop them in the comments or send me a recommendation.
If you don't normally read books about History, I would not start with this one. It's dense and it's written in a way that supposes you already know alot about the Civil War and Lincoln. Most of the stuff I know about the Civil War, I learned from Ken Burns.
I'll probably read another Trump book but what President do you think I read about next?
Jon Meacham is a legend so I don't need to recommend his books but if you already love History than pick this book up.
March 16, 2023
https://wp.me/p302YQ-64U
Published last fall, "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle" is Jon Meacham's review of the 16th president's antislavery commitment. Meacham is a presidential historian and author who has written biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and George H.W. Bush and earned a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Andrew Jackson.
This book is implicitly, if not quite explicitly, marketed as a biography. And because its narrative incorporates all the major events in Lincoln's life, that label is not entirely inappropriate. But this book is far better described as an intellectual exploration of Lincoln's moral, religious and political views and the evolution of his attitude toward slavery.
Readers familiar with Meacham's previous books will quickly recognize his unique literary voice which infuses the narrative. Soaring rhetoric, grand declarations and astute observations all appear in abundance. And clever one-liners, though occasionally too grandiloquent, punctuate the landscape liberally.
Immediately obvious is that Meacham's book is impressively researched. With more than 1,000 sources, few stones remain unturned in his search for insight into Lincoln's moral evolution, religious conviction and political philosophies. The narrative's 421 pages are fortified with more than 200 pages of end notes and bibliography. But one consequence is that as much as half the narrative consists of embedded quotes - from the diaries of Lincoln and his contemporaries, letters, speeches and a wide variety of periodicals. As a result, the narrative is less mellifluous than it would have been if Meacham's own verse dominated.
What results, though, is a deeply thoughtful and perceptive analysis of Lincoln's moral tenets and actions. While Meacham doesn't feel the need to rescue his subject's reputation, he does explore the apparent contradictions in some of Lincoln's thoughts, words and efforts relating to Black Americans. And, in the end, Meacham demonstrates how Lincoln maintained a firm anti-slavery resolve, refused to compromise in critical moments and still held onto support from the most radical sympathizers of his cause.
But much of Lincoln's life consisted of experiences that did not involve the issue of slavery or "equal rights." And Meacham can be quick to pass over events that do not directly support his thesis. Lincoln's childhood, legal career and early legislative service, for example, receive relatively little attention and his political campaigns are generally dispatched with regrettable efficiency. And important supporting characters, including several whose testimony helps shape much of the narrative, are never animated in a meaningful way.
As a result, readers in search of a traditional biography are likely to find this book more ponderous and philosophical than expected. Its twenty-eight chapters do closely follow the contours of Lincoln's life, but its mission is far less sweeping than one might expect for a book which purportedly "chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln."
Overall, though, Jon Meacham's "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle" is a marvelous exploration of Lincoln's moral evolution and actions on behalf of Black Americans. Combining Meacham's own analysis with wisdom gleaned from a wide range of sources, it proves perceptive, thought-provoking and deeply insightful. Excellent for experienced fans of Lincoln, this book is not ideal for readers seeking a comprehensive introduction to Lincoln's life and legacy.
Overall Rating: 4½ stars but “Unrated” as Biography
Published last fall, "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle" is Jon Meacham's review of the 16th president's antislavery commitment. Meacham is a presidential historian and author who has written biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and George H.W. Bush and earned a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Andrew Jackson.
This book is implicitly, if not quite explicitly, marketed as a biography. And because its narrative incorporates all the major events in Lincoln's life, that label is not entirely inappropriate. But this book is far better described as an intellectual exploration of Lincoln's moral, religious and political views and the evolution of his attitude toward slavery.
Readers familiar with Meacham's previous books will quickly recognize his unique literary voice which infuses the narrative. Soaring rhetoric, grand declarations and astute observations all appear in abundance. And clever one-liners, though occasionally too grandiloquent, punctuate the landscape liberally.
Immediately obvious is that Meacham's book is impressively researched. With more than 1,000 sources, few stones remain unturned in his search for insight into Lincoln's moral evolution, religious conviction and political philosophies. The narrative's 421 pages are fortified with more than 200 pages of end notes and bibliography. But one consequence is that as much as half the narrative consists of embedded quotes - from the diaries of Lincoln and his contemporaries, letters, speeches and a wide variety of periodicals. As a result, the narrative is less mellifluous than it would have been if Meacham's own verse dominated.
What results, though, is a deeply thoughtful and perceptive analysis of Lincoln's moral tenets and actions. While Meacham doesn't feel the need to rescue his subject's reputation, he does explore the apparent contradictions in some of Lincoln's thoughts, words and efforts relating to Black Americans. And, in the end, Meacham demonstrates how Lincoln maintained a firm anti-slavery resolve, refused to compromise in critical moments and still held onto support from the most radical sympathizers of his cause.
But much of Lincoln's life consisted of experiences that did not involve the issue of slavery or "equal rights." And Meacham can be quick to pass over events that do not directly support his thesis. Lincoln's childhood, legal career and early legislative service, for example, receive relatively little attention and his political campaigns are generally dispatched with regrettable efficiency. And important supporting characters, including several whose testimony helps shape much of the narrative, are never animated in a meaningful way.
As a result, readers in search of a traditional biography are likely to find this book more ponderous and philosophical than expected. Its twenty-eight chapters do closely follow the contours of Lincoln's life, but its mission is far less sweeping than one might expect for a book which purportedly "chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln."
Overall, though, Jon Meacham's "And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle" is a marvelous exploration of Lincoln's moral evolution and actions on behalf of Black Americans. Combining Meacham's own analysis with wisdom gleaned from a wide range of sources, it proves perceptive, thought-provoking and deeply insightful. Excellent for experienced fans of Lincoln, this book is not ideal for readers seeking a comprehensive introduction to Lincoln's life and legacy.
Overall Rating: 4½ stars but “Unrated” as Biography
April 28, 2023
I have read several of Meacham's books and this is by far, the best. He oftentimes examines spirituality in America; has argued that for most presidents, what they "preach" is more a civic religion than one based in any particular sect. Lincoln would be the best example of this and the best example is his Second Inaugural Address- probably the best speech in American history- in my humble opinion. But I digress.
I have read many books on Lincoln and I was not sure if I would gain much by reading another. I found out fairly quickly that I gained a great deal by reading this book. Meacham delves more deeply in the decisions Lincoln took and made the case, very convincingly, that they tended to be based on morality. At the same time, Lincoln's political decisions were called out- he is not made out to be a saint. That being said on the issue of race, although he was racist, sometimes he made comments for political reasons- not necessarily because he believed them. Specifically, during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, he said things knowing that he was ahead of many people in terms of his views on slavery and understood that people needed to be educated or led along until they did understand. He was also able to alter his opinions when he learned more.
I highly recommend the book.
I have read many books on Lincoln and I was not sure if I would gain much by reading another. I found out fairly quickly that I gained a great deal by reading this book. Meacham delves more deeply in the decisions Lincoln took and made the case, very convincingly, that they tended to be based on morality. At the same time, Lincoln's political decisions were called out- he is not made out to be a saint. That being said on the issue of race, although he was racist, sometimes he made comments for political reasons- not necessarily because he believed them. Specifically, during the Lincoln-Douglas debates, he said things knowing that he was ahead of many people in terms of his views on slavery and understood that people needed to be educated or led along until they did understand. He was also able to alter his opinions when he learned more.
I highly recommend the book.
March 20, 2023
― “In the fourth year of war, two hundred forty-five years after the arrival of the enslaved at Jamestown, eighty-eight years after the Declaration of Independence, and seventy-six years after the ratification of the Constitution, an American president insisted that a core moral commitment to liberty must survive the vicissitudes of politics, the prejudices of race, and the contests of interest. This is not to separate Lincoln’s moral vision from his political sensibilities—an impossibility—but to underscore that he was acting not only for the moment, not only for dominion in the arena, but for all time.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
There has been no shortage of biographies about Abraham Lincoln, a man often regarded as the greatest of America’s presidents. He has been one of the most studied and written-about figures in history. With And There Was Light, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham has given us a revealing new biography of a very human Lincoln that focuses on Lincoln’s moral evolution on the issue of slavery, paying close attention to the many influences on his ideas and values. Nevertheless, Meacham’s biography includes the story of Lincoln from his birth on the Kentucky frontier to his bookish boyhood, his studies for the law, his engagement to Ann Rutledge, his marriage to the irascible Mary Todd Lincoln, the childhood deaths of two of his sons, his bouts of depression, the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, his one term in Congress, his failed candidacy for the U.S. Senate, his presidency, and his assassination.
Meacham shows that, from early in his life, Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong. “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong,” he wrote during his presidency. “I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel.”
― “He had long ago made the moral decision that slavery was wrong and could have no place in a nation truly devoted to the principles of the Declaration of Independence.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Nevertheless, Meacham shows how Lincoln’s thoughts on the issues of slavery and the status of African Americans continued to evolve throughout his life, even during his presidency. In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas maintained that slavery was a civilized and Christian institution. He claimed Black people were incapable of self-government and considered them mere property rather than people. He called for opening new Western states to slavery if White voters in those states so chose. While Lincoln positioned himself against the expansion of slavery into the new territories, he also positioned himself as against racial equality, telling the audience: “I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races.” He further stated, “I will say…that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters of jurors of negroes, nor qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people.” Clearly, at this time, Lincoln was advocating racial separatism. Doubting that Whites and Blacks could live together, Lincoln endorsed “separation of the races” and even considered colonization schemes to send emancipated slaves to Africa, the Caribbean, or South America.
― “The colonization proposals underscored a tragic reality. One could—and many white Americans did—oppose slavery while failing to engage the prospective creation of a multiracial democracy.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
After the Missouri Compromise put the federal government on record against the unchecked spread of slavery across the continent, the slave-owning interest grew ever more defensive and ever more strident. They would not be satisfied with the expansion of slavery into new territories, it seemed clear that they planned to expand the institution into “Mexico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America.” In fact, “expansionists” had already “raised money, arms and men to acquire” additional “slave territory.”
― “That those debating the future of slavery were thinking of the white American South as the beginning of slave territory, not the end, casts the arguments of Lincoln’s time in a stark light. An armed and emboldened slave-owning South was not just a problem to be endured, but a hemispheric threat to confront.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Lincoln became both hated and revered. For the slaveholders, this was a clash of visions bound up with money, race, and even faith. And Lincoln was maturing and his vision was expanding. “Once, when a Republican congressman from Massachusetts accused Lincoln of having changed his mind, Lincoln replied, ‘Yes, I have; and I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.’”
But Lincoln disappointed abolitionists time and again. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln stated that “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.’ The abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who had been so recently hopeful, was unhappy, stating “The speech was little better than our worst fears.” Lincoln deferred emancipation until the third year of the war. When he finally issued his Emancipation Proclamation five days after the Union victory at Antietam, it was military necessity rather than justice that drove the matter. The army’s telegraph superintendent wrote: “…then for the first time he told me that he had been writing an order giving freedom to the slaves in the South, for the purpose of hastening the end of the war.”
Yet, as the next presidential election approached, Lincoln risked his political future for his moral convictions, intending to preserve both democracy and the Union. Meacham puts it this way: “To end slavery, Lincoln risked defeat and banishment to Springfield—the highest prices for a political man to pay.” He then adds: “But he was ready to pay. He would rise or fall on emancipation. He thought it was right.”
― “If the image of Lincoln as Father Abraham, the Great Emancipator, is sometimes overdrawn, Lincoln courageously resisted compromising on slavery in an hour when such compromise was within the realm of acceptable opinion. The president-elect’s steadfastness in the winter of 1860-61 helped make the end of slavery possible.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Jon Meacham’s biography is a biography for our times, a time in America when divisions are deeper than at any time since the Civil War. His thoroughly researched and highly readable account of Lincoln’s moral evolution highlights a type of political leadership that would serve our country well today. With nearly 250 pages of endnotes and bibliography, the actual text runs about 440 pages—fairly reasonable as far as presidential biographies go. Meacham not only gives readers a full understanding of the fractured state of the Union in mid-19th century America, he gives us hope for the future.
― “In life, Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political—a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law. In years of peril, he pointed the country toward a future that was superior to the past and to the present; in years of strife he held steady. Lincoln’s life shows us that progress can be made by fallible and fallen presidents and peoples—which, in a fallible and fallen world, should give us hope.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
There has been no shortage of biographies about Abraham Lincoln, a man often regarded as the greatest of America’s presidents. He has been one of the most studied and written-about figures in history. With And There Was Light, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham has given us a revealing new biography of a very human Lincoln that focuses on Lincoln’s moral evolution on the issue of slavery, paying close attention to the many influences on his ideas and values. Nevertheless, Meacham’s biography includes the story of Lincoln from his birth on the Kentucky frontier to his bookish boyhood, his studies for the law, his engagement to Ann Rutledge, his marriage to the irascible Mary Todd Lincoln, the childhood deaths of two of his sons, his bouts of depression, the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, his one term in Congress, his failed candidacy for the U.S. Senate, his presidency, and his assassination.
Meacham shows that, from early in his life, Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong. “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong,” he wrote during his presidency. “I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel.”
― “He had long ago made the moral decision that slavery was wrong and could have no place in a nation truly devoted to the principles of the Declaration of Independence.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Nevertheless, Meacham shows how Lincoln’s thoughts on the issues of slavery and the status of African Americans continued to evolve throughout his life, even during his presidency. In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas maintained that slavery was a civilized and Christian institution. He claimed Black people were incapable of self-government and considered them mere property rather than people. He called for opening new Western states to slavery if White voters in those states so chose. While Lincoln positioned himself against the expansion of slavery into the new territories, he also positioned himself as against racial equality, telling the audience: “I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races.” He further stated, “I will say…that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters of jurors of negroes, nor qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people.” Clearly, at this time, Lincoln was advocating racial separatism. Doubting that Whites and Blacks could live together, Lincoln endorsed “separation of the races” and even considered colonization schemes to send emancipated slaves to Africa, the Caribbean, or South America.
― “The colonization proposals underscored a tragic reality. One could—and many white Americans did—oppose slavery while failing to engage the prospective creation of a multiracial democracy.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
After the Missouri Compromise put the federal government on record against the unchecked spread of slavery across the continent, the slave-owning interest grew ever more defensive and ever more strident. They would not be satisfied with the expansion of slavery into new territories, it seemed clear that they planned to expand the institution into “Mexico, the Caribbean and other parts of Latin America.” In fact, “expansionists” had already “raised money, arms and men to acquire” additional “slave territory.”
― “That those debating the future of slavery were thinking of the white American South as the beginning of slave territory, not the end, casts the arguments of Lincoln’s time in a stark light. An armed and emboldened slave-owning South was not just a problem to be endured, but a hemispheric threat to confront.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Lincoln became both hated and revered. For the slaveholders, this was a clash of visions bound up with money, race, and even faith. And Lincoln was maturing and his vision was expanding. “Once, when a Republican congressman from Massachusetts accused Lincoln of having changed his mind, Lincoln replied, ‘Yes, I have; and I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.’”
But Lincoln disappointed abolitionists time and again. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln stated that “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.’ The abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who had been so recently hopeful, was unhappy, stating “The speech was little better than our worst fears.” Lincoln deferred emancipation until the third year of the war. When he finally issued his Emancipation Proclamation five days after the Union victory at Antietam, it was military necessity rather than justice that drove the matter. The army’s telegraph superintendent wrote: “…then for the first time he told me that he had been writing an order giving freedom to the slaves in the South, for the purpose of hastening the end of the war.”
Yet, as the next presidential election approached, Lincoln risked his political future for his moral convictions, intending to preserve both democracy and the Union. Meacham puts it this way: “To end slavery, Lincoln risked defeat and banishment to Springfield—the highest prices for a political man to pay.” He then adds: “But he was ready to pay. He would rise or fall on emancipation. He thought it was right.”
― “If the image of Lincoln as Father Abraham, the Great Emancipator, is sometimes overdrawn, Lincoln courageously resisted compromising on slavery in an hour when such compromise was within the realm of acceptable opinion. The president-elect’s steadfastness in the winter of 1860-61 helped make the end of slavery possible.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
Jon Meacham’s biography is a biography for our times, a time in America when divisions are deeper than at any time since the Civil War. His thoroughly researched and highly readable account of Lincoln’s moral evolution highlights a type of political leadership that would serve our country well today. With nearly 250 pages of endnotes and bibliography, the actual text runs about 440 pages—fairly reasonable as far as presidential biographies go. Meacham not only gives readers a full understanding of the fractured state of the Union in mid-19th century America, he gives us hope for the future.
― “In life, Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political—a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law. In years of peril, he pointed the country toward a future that was superior to the past and to the present; in years of strife he held steady. Lincoln’s life shows us that progress can be made by fallible and fallen presidents and peoples—which, in a fallible and fallen world, should give us hope.”
― Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
October 24, 2022
4.5 rounded up
It may be said that the country doesn’t need another biography of Abraham Lincoln, even a smartly written analytical one by the author of several acclaimed bestselling bios of past presidents. At last count, more than 16,000 books about Lincoln already exist. What more could can be said about Lincoln that isn’t merely a rehash of what’s gone before?
It's certainly not my place to hazard an answer to this question; personally I find Lincoln endlessly fascinating so the idea that new books about him are superfluous is perplexing. As it happens, though, I am writing this only a few hours after what might be the final public hearing of the January 6 committee so my mind is in a particular place. I suspect it is very similar to the place Jon Meacham was in as he wrote this evocative book.
“And There Was Light” is a very thorough biography of the 16th president. It looks at his upbringing; the forces, people, events, and cultural currents that shaped him (including religion, philosophy, and race, to name three big ones); his experiences as a young man in business and politics; his life as a husband and father, as President of the United States; the internal contradictions he wrestled with; and more. I’ve read many books about Lincoln but I still discovered much here that I’d never read before.
What makes the book truly stand out for me is how Meacham very methodically uses Lincoln’s life and times as a vehicle for probing the fissures and challenges of our own time; that is, the book is not biography alone but also biography-as-commentary. He writes, "A president who led a divided country in which an implacable minority gave no quarter in a clash over power, race, identity, money, and faith has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality. For while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events."
The years leading to the American Civil War were strikingly — even frighteningly — similar to our own. Sometimes the similarities appear so large that they seem almost forced and artificial. As the day of certifying Lincoln’s election neared, for example, it was feared that the Capitol might be taken by violence by armed men eager to prevent the counting of the electoral votes and the declaration of Lincoln’s presidency. The outgoing VP was a member of the opposing party, and what’s more, a loyal Southerner. Could he be counted on to act with integrity and fulfill his Constitutional duties? Might the boxes with the electoral votes be taken from him by force? Deepening anxiety about the certification led to the deployment of federal troops throughout the capital, headed by General Winfield Scott who declared that anyone “who attempted by force or unparliamentary disorder to obstruct or interfere with the lawful count [of Electoral votes] would be lashed to the muzzle of a twelve-pounder and fired out a window of the Capitol.” (Unsurprisingly, reading this I found myself thinking of the many sombre ruminations I've read about what might have happened on had the police guarding the Capitol on January 6 opened fire on the insurrectionists trying to overturn the 2020 election.)
Not all correspondences between those years and our own were so obvious, of course (though Meacham does direct the reader’s attention to the fact that Lincoln, fully expecting to lose his bid for reelection, made it clear that he would accept the results regardless of the outcome: “This is due to the people both on principle, and under the constitution. Their will, constitutionally expressed, is the ultimate law for all.”).
As I made my way through “And There Was Light” I noted the themes Meacham touches upon that are all-too-visible today: race, anti-immigrant animus, sectionalism, political factions, culture wars, disruptive technologies, the role of federal courts in “reorder[ing] reality", conspiracy-mongering and performative grievances ("On the eve of Fort Sumter, the governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, reportedly acknowledged the clash in realities in a private conversation with a U.S. Army office in Charleston. Pickens told the army man about 'the whole plan and secret of the Southern conspiracy,' admitting that 'the South had never been wronged, and that all their pretense of grievance… were invalid. But we must carry the people with us; and we allege these things, as all statesmen do many things they do not believe, because they are the only instruments by which the people can be managed.' ” ), how public opinion both empowers and constrains politicians, the politics of class and… well, I could go on for a very long time: these themes run deeply throughout American history. Indeed, arguably they are our history.
One key point Meachem makes is this: Lincoln came of age in an environment in which religion and religious language and imagery were very prominent. Lincoln’s mature writings are peppered with countless biblical allusions and expressions. Matters of belief and faith per se didn’t appear to be very important to him, but the ethical principles underlying religion were extremely important. In fact, they informed his perceptions of right and wrong, and how such principles work in real life, particularly in profoundly troubled and violent times. Most remarkably, from our current vantage point, Lincoln repeatedly demonstrated that he would not sacrifice his moral standards in order to win an election. If he was going to lose, he would lose knowing he stood for what he thought was right, not for what was politically expedient.
Character and morality are recurring themes in the book. (“Politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law,” Meacham writes, doubtless thinking of our situation today.) But if religion had a salutary place in shaping Lincoln's character, it played a less admirable role in public life, particularly in the South. The mayor of Savannah, Georgia, for example, said that he "could not bring my mind to entertain even the impression that a God of justice and of truth will permit a blinded, fanatical people… who set at defiance the right of private property by seizing Negroes, the personal chattel of others… to triumph in this unholy war.” Elsewhere, a minister opines from the pulpit that defending slavery is precisely defending the cause of God and religion. Another minister called for Heaven's aid in the fight against a heathen North: "Retaliation! To arms! To arms! Let us kill! Let us destroy! Let us by faith, obedience and love, so engage the Lord of Hosts on our side that he will fight for us." (Need I observe that we hear similarly heated calls for violence coming -- incongruously, it seems to me -- from some pulpits today?)
Lincoln is not held up as a perfect man in the book. He is in fact deeply flawed and conflicted. But these flaws are the very things that drew Meacham to closely examine Lincoln's character. As he writes, “We study Lincoln not because he was perfect but because he was a man whose inconsistencies resonate even now.” Prominent among these inconsistencies were Lincoln’s views about race. As a historian, Meacham uses his discussions of this complicated matter to make a convincing argument against “presentism” — the tendency many people have to evaluate people and events of the past in terms of modern values and concepts. (One wonders whether the opposite side of this conceptual coin is "originalism," at least insofar as certain legal theorists... no, I'll let it go.)
At the beginning of this review I referred to today's January 6 Committee hearing. I might add here that yesterday I listened to “The Argument,” a podcast from the New York Times. The topic under consideration was whether the United States is headed towards a second civil war. The discussion was thoughtful, serious, and — of course — inconclusive. This podcast was also on my mind as I wrote this review.
Meacham notes, early in his book, that in considering Lincoln “we… engage not only the possibilities and limitations of the presidency, but the possibilities and limitations of America itself.” “And There Was Light” makes it clear that Meacham believes the possibilities and limitations that were tested during the Civil War years are being tested again today. The matter runs throughout the book, both explictly and implicitly, but is, I think, best captured not in Meacham's words but in Lincoln’s own, oft-quoted observation: “At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!… I answer, if it ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us… If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” It remains to be seen what the outcome of our time's story will be.
My thanks to Random House and Edelweis+ for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
It may be said that the country doesn’t need another biography of Abraham Lincoln, even a smartly written analytical one by the author of several acclaimed bestselling bios of past presidents. At last count, more than 16,000 books about Lincoln already exist. What more could can be said about Lincoln that isn’t merely a rehash of what’s gone before?
It's certainly not my place to hazard an answer to this question; personally I find Lincoln endlessly fascinating so the idea that new books about him are superfluous is perplexing. As it happens, though, I am writing this only a few hours after what might be the final public hearing of the January 6 committee so my mind is in a particular place. I suspect it is very similar to the place Jon Meacham was in as he wrote this evocative book.
“And There Was Light” is a very thorough biography of the 16th president. It looks at his upbringing; the forces, people, events, and cultural currents that shaped him (including religion, philosophy, and race, to name three big ones); his experiences as a young man in business and politics; his life as a husband and father, as President of the United States; the internal contradictions he wrestled with; and more. I’ve read many books about Lincoln but I still discovered much here that I’d never read before.
What makes the book truly stand out for me is how Meacham very methodically uses Lincoln’s life and times as a vehicle for probing the fissures and challenges of our own time; that is, the book is not biography alone but also biography-as-commentary. He writes, "A president who led a divided country in which an implacable minority gave no quarter in a clash over power, race, identity, money, and faith has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality. For while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events."
The years leading to the American Civil War were strikingly — even frighteningly — similar to our own. Sometimes the similarities appear so large that they seem almost forced and artificial. As the day of certifying Lincoln’s election neared, for example, it was feared that the Capitol might be taken by violence by armed men eager to prevent the counting of the electoral votes and the declaration of Lincoln’s presidency. The outgoing VP was a member of the opposing party, and what’s more, a loyal Southerner. Could he be counted on to act with integrity and fulfill his Constitutional duties? Might the boxes with the electoral votes be taken from him by force? Deepening anxiety about the certification led to the deployment of federal troops throughout the capital, headed by General Winfield Scott who declared that anyone “who attempted by force or unparliamentary disorder to obstruct or interfere with the lawful count [of Electoral votes] would be lashed to the muzzle of a twelve-pounder and fired out a window of the Capitol.” (Unsurprisingly, reading this I found myself thinking of the many sombre ruminations I've read about what might have happened on had the police guarding the Capitol on January 6 opened fire on the insurrectionists trying to overturn the 2020 election.)
Not all correspondences between those years and our own were so obvious, of course (though Meacham does direct the reader’s attention to the fact that Lincoln, fully expecting to lose his bid for reelection, made it clear that he would accept the results regardless of the outcome: “This is due to the people both on principle, and under the constitution. Their will, constitutionally expressed, is the ultimate law for all.”).
As I made my way through “And There Was Light” I noted the themes Meacham touches upon that are all-too-visible today: race, anti-immigrant animus, sectionalism, political factions, culture wars, disruptive technologies, the role of federal courts in “reorder[ing] reality", conspiracy-mongering and performative grievances ("On the eve of Fort Sumter, the governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, reportedly acknowledged the clash in realities in a private conversation with a U.S. Army office in Charleston. Pickens told the army man about 'the whole plan and secret of the Southern conspiracy,' admitting that 'the South had never been wronged, and that all their pretense of grievance… were invalid. But we must carry the people with us; and we allege these things, as all statesmen do many things they do not believe, because they are the only instruments by which the people can be managed.' ” ), how public opinion both empowers and constrains politicians, the politics of class and… well, I could go on for a very long time: these themes run deeply throughout American history. Indeed, arguably they are our history.
One key point Meachem makes is this: Lincoln came of age in an environment in which religion and religious language and imagery were very prominent. Lincoln’s mature writings are peppered with countless biblical allusions and expressions. Matters of belief and faith per se didn’t appear to be very important to him, but the ethical principles underlying religion were extremely important. In fact, they informed his perceptions of right and wrong, and how such principles work in real life, particularly in profoundly troubled and violent times. Most remarkably, from our current vantage point, Lincoln repeatedly demonstrated that he would not sacrifice his moral standards in order to win an election. If he was going to lose, he would lose knowing he stood for what he thought was right, not for what was politically expedient.
Character and morality are recurring themes in the book. (“Politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment in liberty under law,” Meacham writes, doubtless thinking of our situation today.) But if religion had a salutary place in shaping Lincoln's character, it played a less admirable role in public life, particularly in the South. The mayor of Savannah, Georgia, for example, said that he "could not bring my mind to entertain even the impression that a God of justice and of truth will permit a blinded, fanatical people… who set at defiance the right of private property by seizing Negroes, the personal chattel of others… to triumph in this unholy war.” Elsewhere, a minister opines from the pulpit that defending slavery is precisely defending the cause of God and religion. Another minister called for Heaven's aid in the fight against a heathen North: "Retaliation! To arms! To arms! Let us kill! Let us destroy! Let us by faith, obedience and love, so engage the Lord of Hosts on our side that he will fight for us." (Need I observe that we hear similarly heated calls for violence coming -- incongruously, it seems to me -- from some pulpits today?)
Lincoln is not held up as a perfect man in the book. He is in fact deeply flawed and conflicted. But these flaws are the very things that drew Meacham to closely examine Lincoln's character. As he writes, “We study Lincoln not because he was perfect but because he was a man whose inconsistencies resonate even now.” Prominent among these inconsistencies were Lincoln’s views about race. As a historian, Meacham uses his discussions of this complicated matter to make a convincing argument against “presentism” — the tendency many people have to evaluate people and events of the past in terms of modern values and concepts. (One wonders whether the opposite side of this conceptual coin is "originalism," at least insofar as certain legal theorists... no, I'll let it go.)
At the beginning of this review I referred to today's January 6 Committee hearing. I might add here that yesterday I listened to “The Argument,” a podcast from the New York Times. The topic under consideration was whether the United States is headed towards a second civil war. The discussion was thoughtful, serious, and — of course — inconclusive. This podcast was also on my mind as I wrote this review.
Meacham notes, early in his book, that in considering Lincoln “we… engage not only the possibilities and limitations of the presidency, but the possibilities and limitations of America itself.” “And There Was Light” makes it clear that Meacham believes the possibilities and limitations that were tested during the Civil War years are being tested again today. The matter runs throughout the book, both explictly and implicitly, but is, I think, best captured not in Meacham's words but in Lincoln’s own, oft-quoted observation: “At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!… I answer, if it ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us… If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” It remains to be seen what the outcome of our time's story will be.
My thanks to Random House and Edelweis+ for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
December 6, 2022
This well-written history clarifies Lincoln's evolving views on the enslaved people in the U.S. Meacham uses lots of quotes from Lincoln and his political contemporaries to support his contentions. I liked reading Lincoln's own words and how they fit into the times when he lived. I don't remember covering Lincoln too much in my history classes, even at the college level when I majored in American History. Mecham's engaging book helps me to fill in the missing gaps. Mary Todd Lincoln emerges as a sad person and no wonder given everything she had to endure. I ended up admiring Lincoln even more after I read this book. Recommended.
December 25, 2022
“He was weighing the most fundamental of issues – the present and the future of slavery – against his own political fortunes. He was being asked to surrender ground on slavery to secure his own reelection. He was being told he had to do it or that all would be lost… He would not back down…He would rise or fall on emancipation. He thought it was right.”
This book takes a look at Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Meacham portrays Lincoln in vivid detail, as he struggles through issues of his times. He comes across as a person of integrity who tries to do what he thinks is right, even when the consequences are not favorable to him personally. Meacham examines some of the commonly held ideas about Lincoln, particularly with regard to slavery, and examines them in light of the myths that have developed about his views (many of them a very long time after any of this happened). In particular, he tracks the changes in his views about slavery. He always felt it was morally wrong, and the strengthening of his resolve led to the Emancipation Proclamation. This book leaves no doubt that the American Civil War was about slavery. Many of the difficulties of those days have repercussions in current times, making this book both a compelling historical analysis and currently relevant.
This book takes a look at Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Meacham portrays Lincoln in vivid detail, as he struggles through issues of his times. He comes across as a person of integrity who tries to do what he thinks is right, even when the consequences are not favorable to him personally. Meacham examines some of the commonly held ideas about Lincoln, particularly with regard to slavery, and examines them in light of the myths that have developed about his views (many of them a very long time after any of this happened). In particular, he tracks the changes in his views about slavery. He always felt it was morally wrong, and the strengthening of his resolve led to the Emancipation Proclamation. This book leaves no doubt that the American Civil War was about slavery. Many of the difficulties of those days have repercussions in current times, making this book both a compelling historical analysis and currently relevant.
January 5, 2024
I loved the attention to theology in Lincoln’s writing and speaking, not to mention his leadership.
October 28, 2022
Rarely do I encounter works of history that feel so current and relevant to today, but that is the case with this book. Meacham presents a Lincoln grappling with the issues of his day, seeking a faith to help him understand his losses, and engaging in politics to accomplish his goals. Lincoln was dynamic, and Meacham chronicles how his thinking and approaches to slavery changed over the course of his public life. The tensions of this era resonate strongly with today's problems and I found Meacham's analysis and interpretation insightful.
October 6, 2024
I have never understood the obvious contradiction between the phrase "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence and the practice of slavery in early American history. How could a nation that championed liberty and self-determination justify the enslavement of millions? This paradox persisted, unresolved, until it culminated in the Civil War (1861-1865) and was finally addressed with the abolition of slavery.
It was this contradiction which I had in mind when I started reading this book from Jon Meacham about the complex personality of Abraham Lincoln. As with his other works—such as his book about Roosevelt and Churchill—Meacham demonstrates a remarkable ability to show the often difficult relation between personal conviction and public duty. He shows Lincoln not merely as a politician, but also as a man grappling with the ethical dilemmas of his era.
Initially, his primary motivation was not to eradicate slavery but to preserve the Union. For me it was fascinating to see how Meacham navigates through Lincoln's initial hesitance to confront the institution of slavery directly. The real conflict, as Meacham illustrates, lay in Lincoln’s understanding that while acknowledging the racist sentiments prevalent among white Americans might have been politically pragmatic, the existence of slavery was a fundamental moral contradiction.
Meacham argues that Lincoln’s genius lay in his capacity to recognize that these seemingly opposing forces—the racist attitudes of the time and the moral imperative for equality—had to be reconciled not merely to save the Union but to create a nation truer to its founding principles. He began to see that black people, as human beings, were unequivocally part of that grand promise of the Declaration of Independence, entitled to the same unalienable rights as any other citizen.
For a European reader like myself, not as familiar with American history, Meacham’s writing did pose me some challenges. There are moments where references to less well-known events could have benefited from elaboration. Nonetheless, this is more than compensated by the profound insights Meacham offered me into Lincoln’s moral and political conscience. Lincoln’s sense of duty went far beyond mere political maneuvering; he saw himself as fulfilling a higher moral purpose. I guess modern day politicians still can learn a great deal from Lincoln.
Meacham’s book is not just a biography of a great American president but a tale of how a nation, founded with a contradiction, can still solve this contradiction and strive for the ideals with which it started.
It was this contradiction which I had in mind when I started reading this book from Jon Meacham about the complex personality of Abraham Lincoln. As with his other works—such as his book about Roosevelt and Churchill—Meacham demonstrates a remarkable ability to show the often difficult relation between personal conviction and public duty. He shows Lincoln not merely as a politician, but also as a man grappling with the ethical dilemmas of his era.
Initially, his primary motivation was not to eradicate slavery but to preserve the Union. For me it was fascinating to see how Meacham navigates through Lincoln's initial hesitance to confront the institution of slavery directly. The real conflict, as Meacham illustrates, lay in Lincoln’s understanding that while acknowledging the racist sentiments prevalent among white Americans might have been politically pragmatic, the existence of slavery was a fundamental moral contradiction.
Meacham argues that Lincoln’s genius lay in his capacity to recognize that these seemingly opposing forces—the racist attitudes of the time and the moral imperative for equality—had to be reconciled not merely to save the Union but to create a nation truer to its founding principles. He began to see that black people, as human beings, were unequivocally part of that grand promise of the Declaration of Independence, entitled to the same unalienable rights as any other citizen.
For a European reader like myself, not as familiar with American history, Meacham’s writing did pose me some challenges. There are moments where references to less well-known events could have benefited from elaboration. Nonetheless, this is more than compensated by the profound insights Meacham offered me into Lincoln’s moral and political conscience. Lincoln’s sense of duty went far beyond mere political maneuvering; he saw himself as fulfilling a higher moral purpose. I guess modern day politicians still can learn a great deal from Lincoln.
Meacham’s book is not just a biography of a great American president but a tale of how a nation, founded with a contradiction, can still solve this contradiction and strive for the ideals with which it started.
January 26, 2023
Considering the plethora of books about Lincoln, why another? One reason is because this is by a historian who will not disappoint readers of history with this superb narrative. Understanding Lincoln is valuable to our times because, as Meacham writes in the Prologue, “ . . . while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events.” (p. xxviii)
Readers could be satisfied in just reading the author’s prologue and epilogue which provide a thorough overview to the author’s conclusion that “ . . . Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political—a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment with liberty under law. In years of peril he pointed the country toward a future that was superior to the past and to the present; in years of strife he held steady. Lincoln’s life shows us that progress can be made by fallible and fallen presidents and peoples—which, in a fallible and fallen world, should give us hope.” (p. 420).
The chapters between the prologue and epilogue are a narrative of Lincoln’s life that focuses on his moral stance; its roots, its development, and how he merges his moral position with politics. It is an examination - to use Meacham’s words about what fascinated Lincoln - of “the tension in a moral world between dark and light, ambition and rectitude, power and goodness.”
Meacham relies on the words of Lincoln in making his points, explaining we can take Lincoln “at his word . . . for few presidents chose his words with more care . . . “ Meacham writes thorough and clear explanations to the circumstances behind many of Lincoln’s comments that seem callous, even racist.
Readers may disagree with some of the author’s conclusions, but Meacham provides thoughtful support for his judgments.
Besides the skillful and readable writing, one measure of the scope and depth of this biography is to review the bibliography. In addition to the expected extensive listing of books and scholarly papers, there are 23 sermons Meacham used as resources along with books on race, faith, prayer, the Scottish Enlightenment, and morals.
************************************************************
Some excerpts:
“Whenever history feels inevitable or problems intractable, Lincoln is there, an example of how even the most imperfect of people, leading the most imperfect of peoples, can help bend that arc.” [the moral arc] (p. xx)
“It is a fact of American history that we are not always good, but that goodness is possible. Not universal, not ubiquitous, not inevitable — but possible.” (p. xxvii)
President Lincoln had to deal with many influential voices, the likes of Thurlow Weed, editor of the ALBANY EVENING JOURNAL, and William Seward who had asserted that slavery and freedom was an “irrespressible conflict,” directing him to compromise with the South. He had opportunities to compromise, but Lincoln believed “maintaining the Union, sustaining self-government, and eradicating slavery were one and the same cause. The white South understood this: that is why secession and war came.” (pp. 200-1). Compromise, though, was off the table, politically and because Lincoln believed holding the line “was the right, just, and morally sound thing to do.” (p. 225)
“The president was doing the right thing for practical reasons—a political being pursuing a course grounded in morality.” (p. 271)
Regarding Lincoln’s preparation for the Emancipation Proclamation, Meacham presents Lincoln is “as a pragmatist . . . preparing the way to render a decision with the most profound practical and moral implications.” (p. 278).
Lincoln didn’t just oversee a war. He had to contend with opposing political factions within and outside of his party.
Readers could be satisfied in just reading the author’s prologue and epilogue which provide a thorough overview to the author’s conclusion that “ . . . Lincoln’s motives were moral as well as political—a reminder that our finest presidents are those committed to bringing a flawed nation closer to the light, a mission that requires an understanding that politics divorced from conscience is fatal to the American experiment with liberty under law. In years of peril he pointed the country toward a future that was superior to the past and to the present; in years of strife he held steady. Lincoln’s life shows us that progress can be made by fallible and fallen presidents and peoples—which, in a fallible and fallen world, should give us hope.” (p. 420).
The chapters between the prologue and epilogue are a narrative of Lincoln’s life that focuses on his moral stance; its roots, its development, and how he merges his moral position with politics. It is an examination - to use Meacham’s words about what fascinated Lincoln - of “the tension in a moral world between dark and light, ambition and rectitude, power and goodness.”
Meacham relies on the words of Lincoln in making his points, explaining we can take Lincoln “at his word . . . for few presidents chose his words with more care . . . “ Meacham writes thorough and clear explanations to the circumstances behind many of Lincoln’s comments that seem callous, even racist.
Readers may disagree with some of the author’s conclusions, but Meacham provides thoughtful support for his judgments.
Besides the skillful and readable writing, one measure of the scope and depth of this biography is to review the bibliography. In addition to the expected extensive listing of books and scholarly papers, there are 23 sermons Meacham used as resources along with books on race, faith, prayer, the Scottish Enlightenment, and morals.
************************************************************
Some excerpts:
“Whenever history feels inevitable or problems intractable, Lincoln is there, an example of how even the most imperfect of people, leading the most imperfect of peoples, can help bend that arc.” [the moral arc] (p. xx)
“It is a fact of American history that we are not always good, but that goodness is possible. Not universal, not ubiquitous, not inevitable — but possible.” (p. xxvii)
President Lincoln had to deal with many influential voices, the likes of Thurlow Weed, editor of the ALBANY EVENING JOURNAL, and William Seward who had asserted that slavery and freedom was an “irrespressible conflict,” directing him to compromise with the South. He had opportunities to compromise, but Lincoln believed “maintaining the Union, sustaining self-government, and eradicating slavery were one and the same cause. The white South understood this: that is why secession and war came.” (pp. 200-1). Compromise, though, was off the table, politically and because Lincoln believed holding the line “was the right, just, and morally sound thing to do.” (p. 225)
“The president was doing the right thing for practical reasons—a political being pursuing a course grounded in morality.” (p. 271)
Regarding Lincoln’s preparation for the Emancipation Proclamation, Meacham presents Lincoln is “as a pragmatist . . . preparing the way to render a decision with the most profound practical and moral implications.” (p. 278).
Lincoln didn’t just oversee a war. He had to contend with opposing political factions within and outside of his party.
April 13, 2023
An absolutely incandescent, transcendent biography of "Father Abraham," the "Great Emancipator." Meacham's book is stirring, moving, heart-breaking, and utterly terrifying. Terrifying, because the brilliant Professor Meacham leads the reader, inexorably, to the realization and the understanding that the MAGAt right-wing extremists exclusively populating today's Republican Party are EXACTLY the same people who governed the South in the decades leading up to Secession, who betrayed their lawful government and their fellow citizens, who occupied the offices of the treasonous Confederate States' Government, first in Montgomery, then in Richmond. The same sorts of Constitutional shenanigans, the same sorts of extralegal authoritarian legislation, the same CHRISTO-FASCISM, that are today employed to defend mass murder with assault rifles, genocide against LGBTQ people, the subjugation of women and non-males; all of it was used in just the same ways to support and defend race-based slavery, white supremacy, and secession. May Honest Abe's God help us all, cause we need it!
June 11, 2024
Enlightening. Author does well to bring out the humanity of Lincoln. Not a saint or purely a politician. The Linc-man was a practical man driven by conviction. I think this quote captures some of his inner conflict
“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling.”
Letter to Albert Hodges, April 4, 1864
Also, I think I like history now. Thanks Jon Meacham! I suppose I will begin a tier list for most based historical figures. The list is currently short due to general lack of historical understanding but I think Linc is undisputed S tier.
“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling.”
Letter to Albert Hodges, April 4, 1864
Also, I think I like history now. Thanks Jon Meacham! I suppose I will begin a tier list for most based historical figures. The list is currently short due to general lack of historical understanding but I think Linc is undisputed S tier.
January 28, 2025
Very impersonal. Did not address gay allegations
November 4, 2022
Meacham is a successful historian and now he takes his turn with Abraham Lincoln. I have read quite a bit about the civil war and Lincoln but surprisingly never a biography of Lincoln so it was time. I don't count Team of Rivals which was great but had a different approach than a straight biography.
Meacham focuses mostly on Lincoln's political life which I prefer so that was appreciated. In his political life and ultimately his presidency he really focuses on slavery and to a lesser extent the civil war. Obviously, slavery and the civil war are the two major themes in Lincolns life so it makes sense for the book to spend most of its time on these two dominant issues of the time.
I think Meacham does a great job of sharing Lincolns evolving beliefs as it relates to slavery with many quotes that might surprise some readers who believe Abe was the Great Emancipator. When Lincoln seems to walk a fine line with being anti-slavery but saying things that imply, he doesn't feel that African Americans are truly equal in all areas. I like that Meacham presents the sometimes-opposing statements made by Abe and does not say whether he feels Abe truly believed all of them or was just trying to walk a fine line. He lets the reader decide for themself what Abe believed. I come away from the book believing that Lincoln hated slavery and wanted to end it but he needed to be pragmatic as he tried to bring the country along to his way of thinking. It would not have done any good to take a strong stance to the point that he couldn't win the election and do what he was ultimately able to accomplish.
My second takeaway was the incredible physical and emotional strain on him during the civil war. Meacham does a great job of showing how horrible it would be to have that pressure of trying to hold the country together and have to make decisions that he knew resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of young men.
My one slight disappointment is that I would have liked a little more attention paid to Lincon as the commander in chief during the war. He had to make many difficult decisions when it came to the war not least of which was when to dismiss a general and I would have loved a little more attention to that but overall I thought "And There Was Light" was a very solid biography.
Meacham focuses mostly on Lincoln's political life which I prefer so that was appreciated. In his political life and ultimately his presidency he really focuses on slavery and to a lesser extent the civil war. Obviously, slavery and the civil war are the two major themes in Lincolns life so it makes sense for the book to spend most of its time on these two dominant issues of the time.
I think Meacham does a great job of sharing Lincolns evolving beliefs as it relates to slavery with many quotes that might surprise some readers who believe Abe was the Great Emancipator. When Lincoln seems to walk a fine line with being anti-slavery but saying things that imply, he doesn't feel that African Americans are truly equal in all areas. I like that Meacham presents the sometimes-opposing statements made by Abe and does not say whether he feels Abe truly believed all of them or was just trying to walk a fine line. He lets the reader decide for themself what Abe believed. I come away from the book believing that Lincoln hated slavery and wanted to end it but he needed to be pragmatic as he tried to bring the country along to his way of thinking. It would not have done any good to take a strong stance to the point that he couldn't win the election and do what he was ultimately able to accomplish.
My second takeaway was the incredible physical and emotional strain on him during the civil war. Meacham does a great job of showing how horrible it would be to have that pressure of trying to hold the country together and have to make decisions that he knew resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of young men.
My one slight disappointment is that I would have liked a little more attention paid to Lincon as the commander in chief during the war. He had to make many difficult decisions when it came to the war not least of which was when to dismiss a general and I would have loved a little more attention to that but overall I thought "And There Was Light" was a very solid biography.
April 13, 2024
This excellent biography provides the expected personal and historical details, but Meacham is specifically interested in examining Lincoln’s views of slavery and emancipation, and how these views were reflected in his speeches, political maneuvering, and executive actions. Meacham helpfully reminds us that Lincoln’s public statements should not be assumed to be a perfect representation of his innermost thoughts. Instead, they should be understood as strategic moves to persuade the country to move in the direction that he believed would ensure both the preservation of the union and the abolition of the evil institution of slavery.
Although I’ve done a fair amount of reading on the Great Emancipator, I still found much to appreciate here. There are too many interesting items to recount, but I’ll note one example that stood out as something I hadn’t previously thought much about: When Lincoln was running for re-election in 1864, the Republican party chose Andrew Johnson as his running mate. Hailing from Tennessee, it was believed that his “moderate” views on slavery would help to improve Lincoln’s chances of carrying the border states, since it was believed that he had the northern states locked up. Johnson was theoretically against slavery, but was primarily focused on maintaining the union regardless of its persistence, and was clearly a white supremacist. There was apparently no consideration of how Johnson might govern as president if Lincoln should be assassinated—which should have been regarded as a distinctly non-negligible possibility. In retrospect, it seems bizarre that there was seemingly no concern that a Johnson administration could potentially ruin the peace after the war and abandon Lincoln’s (and the rest of the Republican party’s) plans for Reconstruction.
Although I’ve done a fair amount of reading on the Great Emancipator, I still found much to appreciate here. There are too many interesting items to recount, but I’ll note one example that stood out as something I hadn’t previously thought much about: When Lincoln was running for re-election in 1864, the Republican party chose Andrew Johnson as his running mate. Hailing from Tennessee, it was believed that his “moderate” views on slavery would help to improve Lincoln’s chances of carrying the border states, since it was believed that he had the northern states locked up. Johnson was theoretically against slavery, but was primarily focused on maintaining the union regardless of its persistence, and was clearly a white supremacist. There was apparently no consideration of how Johnson might govern as president if Lincoln should be assassinated—which should have been regarded as a distinctly non-negligible possibility. In retrospect, it seems bizarre that there was seemingly no concern that a Johnson administration could potentially ruin the peace after the war and abandon Lincoln’s (and the rest of the Republican party’s) plans for Reconstruction.
December 30, 2022
Had wanted to do a Lincoln bio after getting mid way through Grant by Ron Chernow.
This ironically came out at just the right time as I was finishing Grant. Had already purchased the Carl Sandburg book but decided on this due to release date.
Honestly felt it was too fast paced, lacking depth of various points in his life and seemed to focus more on 'the psychology' and Influences of the man- less on the life of.
Worth a read but felt like something was missing.
This ironically came out at just the right time as I was finishing Grant. Had already purchased the Carl Sandburg book but decided on this due to release date.
Honestly felt it was too fast paced, lacking depth of various points in his life and seemed to focus more on 'the psychology' and Influences of the man- less on the life of.
Worth a read but felt like something was missing.
February 7, 2023
In many ways Jon Meacham is the conscience of America. The Vanderbilt historian and author has a very optimistic view of the American people and his appearances on MSNBC and other programs is usually upbeat when it comes to the future of the United States. This viewpoint is readily apparent in a number of his books, including THE SOUL OF AMERICA: THE BATTLE FOR OUR BETTER ANGELS where he discusses turning points in American history and how we have overcome numerous issues including partisanship. Meacham is a prolific author whose books include FRANKLIN AND WINSTON: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF AN EPIC FRIENDSHIP, AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE MAKING OF THE NATION, AMERICAN LION: ANDREW JACKSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE, HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON: JOHN LEWIS AND THE POWER OF HOPE, and DESTINY AND POWER: THE AMERICAN ODDESSY OF GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH. All books are well written with a degree of empathy for his subjects which is the case with his latest effort, AND THERE WAS LIGHT: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND AMERICA’S STRUGGLE which tells the story of our 16th president from his birth on the Kentucky frontier to his leadership during the Civil War through his assassination. For Meacham, Lincoln’s life illustrates the ways and means of politics in a democracy, the roots and durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to shape events.
Meacham’s Lincoln is a humane and empathetic individual who must overcome personal tragedy and his own demons. The death of two children, a depressive personality, and a spouse who caused trouble repeatedly must be dealt with as he tries to maintain the union and reunify his country. Lincoln did not shy away from complex decisions whether dealing with politics, military personnel, or wartime strategy. He was a firm believer in Jeffersonian equality and the constitution. He was not averse to making compromises to maintain the union and a democratic form of government. The idea that the federal government could not end slavery in states where it existed but could prevent its expansion into new territories was deeply ingrained in him. According to poet and editor James Russell Lowell who wrote in 1864, for Lincoln it was more convenient to say the least, to have a country left without a constitution, than a constitution without a country.”
Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s treatment of slavery is heavily laden with theological arguments and experiences which Lincoln argued was his own enslavement by his overbearing father who forced him to labor and forgo education, to the exposure to reverends preaching against slavery during his boyhood. Meacham develops anti and pro-slavery ideology throughout the narrative and concludes that Lincoln did not believe in racial equality, favored the colonization of slaves to areas outside the United States, but overall, he could not tolerate individuals being owned by another and having to labor for someone not of his choosing.
The narrative carefully recounts Lincoln’s evolution concerning the slave issue relying on his religious and political development. Lincoln was a man of compromise in all areas, but not concerning the maintenance of the union. Meacham reviews the most important debates, events, and movements of the period and offers a dissection of Lincoln’s thought processes and how he finally reached the conclusion in 1862 that after trying everything to appease the south and keep the states as one to announce the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Lincoln only served one term in Congress, but it was an important education. He learned a great deal about slavery coming into contact with southern members of the House of Representatives, opposing racist legislation, and the need of compromise, not conquest in order to make meaningful change. Lincoln repeatedly turned to the “Founders” for inspiration and if one examines his speeches it is a combination of religious belief and political pragmatism. As Lincoln stated in 1861, “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.”
According to historian Richard Carwardine, “the fatalist and activist were thus infused in Lincoln.” He was a dichotomy. He articulated his moral commitment against slavery and his willingness to leave a white dominated society intact. For him racial prejudice among whites was at such a level that the practical course was to acknowledge and accommodate it.
There are countless interesting aspects of Lincoln’s life that Meacham introduces. One of the most surprising is his obsession concerning his own birth – was he illegitimate? Did policy decisions emanate from his own inferiority about his own birth that summoned temporal and divine help, as he tried to put the national family back together when his own family origin was in doubt?
Meacham does an excellent job reviewing events leading to the Civil War, the course of the war, and the ultimate victory of the north which cost Lincoln his life. The author concludes that in most aspects of his narrative race is the central cause of the conflict as even if he would free the slaves northern racists were on par with those in the south – the only difference was they did not want to enslave them, but they could not accept that they were equal.
AND THERE WAS LIGHT is not a traditional biography of our 16th president. It is more a conversation with an eminent historian who examines the intellectual development of his subject while at the same time placing him in the context of the world he lived in and the difficult choices that he made. Meacham offers an account that is worldly and spiritual, and carefully tailored to suit our conflict-ridden times. Meacham alludes to the present with examples from the past. A case in point is Vice President John Breckinridge’s courageous decision to carry out the electoral college faithfully in February 1861 as Mike Pence did in 2021. Further Lincoln promised to accept the results of the 1864 election, even if he lost, Donald Trump and Kari Lake are you listening? Lastly, Lincoln’s support for absentee voting for soldiers, unlike Trump’s call to outlaw the process. Lincoln faced a White supremacists national minority chafing against Jeffersonian ideals which Lincoln was committed to. With January 6th and further threats of violence Meacham tries to use Lincoln as an example of leadership in somewhat similar times.
The book is thoroughly researched and highly readable written by a craftsman of the English language. The book as are his other works is relevant for today as Meacham writes, “ A president who led a divided country in which an implacable minority gave no quarter in a clash over power, race, identity, money, and faith has much to teach us in a twenty-first century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality. For while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events.”
Meacham’s Lincoln is a humane and empathetic individual who must overcome personal tragedy and his own demons. The death of two children, a depressive personality, and a spouse who caused trouble repeatedly must be dealt with as he tries to maintain the union and reunify his country. Lincoln did not shy away from complex decisions whether dealing with politics, military personnel, or wartime strategy. He was a firm believer in Jeffersonian equality and the constitution. He was not averse to making compromises to maintain the union and a democratic form of government. The idea that the federal government could not end slavery in states where it existed but could prevent its expansion into new territories was deeply ingrained in him. According to poet and editor James Russell Lowell who wrote in 1864, for Lincoln it was more convenient to say the least, to have a country left without a constitution, than a constitution without a country.”
Meacham’s account of Lincoln’s treatment of slavery is heavily laden with theological arguments and experiences which Lincoln argued was his own enslavement by his overbearing father who forced him to labor and forgo education, to the exposure to reverends preaching against slavery during his boyhood. Meacham develops anti and pro-slavery ideology throughout the narrative and concludes that Lincoln did not believe in racial equality, favored the colonization of slaves to areas outside the United States, but overall, he could not tolerate individuals being owned by another and having to labor for someone not of his choosing.
The narrative carefully recounts Lincoln’s evolution concerning the slave issue relying on his religious and political development. Lincoln was a man of compromise in all areas, but not concerning the maintenance of the union. Meacham reviews the most important debates, events, and movements of the period and offers a dissection of Lincoln’s thought processes and how he finally reached the conclusion in 1862 that after trying everything to appease the south and keep the states as one to announce the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Lincoln only served one term in Congress, but it was an important education. He learned a great deal about slavery coming into contact with southern members of the House of Representatives, opposing racist legislation, and the need of compromise, not conquest in order to make meaningful change. Lincoln repeatedly turned to the “Founders” for inspiration and if one examines his speeches it is a combination of religious belief and political pragmatism. As Lincoln stated in 1861, “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.”
According to historian Richard Carwardine, “the fatalist and activist were thus infused in Lincoln.” He was a dichotomy. He articulated his moral commitment against slavery and his willingness to leave a white dominated society intact. For him racial prejudice among whites was at such a level that the practical course was to acknowledge and accommodate it.
There are countless interesting aspects of Lincoln’s life that Meacham introduces. One of the most surprising is his obsession concerning his own birth – was he illegitimate? Did policy decisions emanate from his own inferiority about his own birth that summoned temporal and divine help, as he tried to put the national family back together when his own family origin was in doubt?
Meacham does an excellent job reviewing events leading to the Civil War, the course of the war, and the ultimate victory of the north which cost Lincoln his life. The author concludes that in most aspects of his narrative race is the central cause of the conflict as even if he would free the slaves northern racists were on par with those in the south – the only difference was they did not want to enslave them, but they could not accept that they were equal.
AND THERE WAS LIGHT is not a traditional biography of our 16th president. It is more a conversation with an eminent historian who examines the intellectual development of his subject while at the same time placing him in the context of the world he lived in and the difficult choices that he made. Meacham offers an account that is worldly and spiritual, and carefully tailored to suit our conflict-ridden times. Meacham alludes to the present with examples from the past. A case in point is Vice President John Breckinridge’s courageous decision to carry out the electoral college faithfully in February 1861 as Mike Pence did in 2021. Further Lincoln promised to accept the results of the 1864 election, even if he lost, Donald Trump and Kari Lake are you listening? Lastly, Lincoln’s support for absentee voting for soldiers, unlike Trump’s call to outlaw the process. Lincoln faced a White supremacists national minority chafing against Jeffersonian ideals which Lincoln was committed to. With January 6th and further threats of violence Meacham tries to use Lincoln as an example of leadership in somewhat similar times.
The book is thoroughly researched and highly readable written by a craftsman of the English language. The book as are his other works is relevant for today as Meacham writes, “ A president who led a divided country in which an implacable minority gave no quarter in a clash over power, race, identity, money, and faith has much to teach us in a twenty-first century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality. For while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events.”
December 28, 2022
A good, albeit slim biography of Lincoln, probably most valuable if you haven't read any other books about him (and I have not).
Meacham's book is, in one sense, a prolonged argument against the assertion that Lincoln was a racist. This says so much about our current cultural moment, that the American president who moved heaven and earth and permanently transformed the country in an effort to maintain the union and (yes, secondarily) end slavery, is now as suspicious in the minds of some as actual-slaveowner Thomas Jefferson.
In fact, Lincoln was a racist in the modern sense, since he clearly did not believe in full racial equality, or at least never averred it publicly.
That being the case, historians need to chill out and let the people of the past be themselves, instead of shoehorning them into our present fraught conversations about race. Of course Lincoln is crucial to a historically-informed conversation about this topic, but we should not necessarily set ourselves in judgment over him unless we feel sure that, placed in his position, we would have held more enlightened views. This is an impossible counterfactual to prove, and therefore we should let his deeds speak for themselves and save our judgmental breath to cool our porridge.
All told, however, with the intention of introducing the genius of Lincoln to an audience of people with short attention spans who are predisposed to think everyone who lived before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday are likely to have had unspeakably racist attitudes, Meacham succeeds.
The next book about Lincoln should attempt to reintroduce him as a moral exemplar and defend his defense of the union, as once again we see blocs of states going in very different directions (not, perhaps, toward civil war, but certainly also not towards "ever closer union.") This, Meacham does not attempt.
Meacham's book is, in one sense, a prolonged argument against the assertion that Lincoln was a racist. This says so much about our current cultural moment, that the American president who moved heaven and earth and permanently transformed the country in an effort to maintain the union and (yes, secondarily) end slavery, is now as suspicious in the minds of some as actual-slaveowner Thomas Jefferson.
In fact, Lincoln was a racist in the modern sense, since he clearly did not believe in full racial equality, or at least never averred it publicly.
That being the case, historians need to chill out and let the people of the past be themselves, instead of shoehorning them into our present fraught conversations about race. Of course Lincoln is crucial to a historically-informed conversation about this topic, but we should not necessarily set ourselves in judgment over him unless we feel sure that, placed in his position, we would have held more enlightened views. This is an impossible counterfactual to prove, and therefore we should let his deeds speak for themselves and save our judgmental breath to cool our porridge.
All told, however, with the intention of introducing the genius of Lincoln to an audience of people with short attention spans who are predisposed to think everyone who lived before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday are likely to have had unspeakably racist attitudes, Meacham succeeds.
The next book about Lincoln should attempt to reintroduce him as a moral exemplar and defend his defense of the union, as once again we see blocs of states going in very different directions (not, perhaps, toward civil war, but certainly also not towards "ever closer union.") This, Meacham does not attempt.
January 10, 2023
If you’re ever thinking about reading a history of Abraham Lincoln, Jon Meacham‘s new book is the one you should read. Incredibly well researched and full of details, large and small. This book is quite dense when it comes to facts, and admittedly long, but it is worth it to go through the various stages of Lincoln’s life. It was interesting to see the formative years and experiences that made Lincoln who he was. As time goes on, we view history differently and can interpret it. Meacham’s “And There Was Light” does that well. Of course we know the ultimate end to Lincoln, but he will continue to intrigue and inspire Americans for decades to come.
June 28, 2024
I truly could not put this book down. Jon Meacham is a true historian and masterfully describes the unique stages of our 16th president Abraham Lincoln. This book was my first dive into the Civil War era and it truly dug a hook into me learning so much more. This would include early American politics which I never thought I would be so interested in until picking up this book. In any case, here are my 5 reasons why this book really blew my mind.
Articulated Writing
It is very rare to pick up a Historical narrative or Biography and actually feel engaged throughout the whole book. Normally one would hit a dry spell here and there throughtout the chapters, that was never the case for “And There Was Light”. I think this was all due to Jon Meacham ability to mold persuasive and articulated writing skills together. It honestly felt like I was on a tour buss and Jon was the conductor explaining the different aspects of Lincolns life. The verbiage and vocabulary was easy to get through even with my sometimes low IQ reading level and everything seemed to mold together as the author explained multiple stages of Lincoln’s political life.
The Phases of Abraham Lincoln
Yes, I know this is the kind of thing you would hope to see in a biography but honestly I loved how the chapters were organized in 6 unique parts. The order goes Part 1: Clothed in Bone & Nerve, Part 2: The Banner He Bears, Part 3: Right Makes Might, Part 4: My Whole Soul Is In It 1861-1863, Part 5: A New Birth of Freedom 1863-1864, Part 6: His Illimitable Work 2864-The End. What I liked the most about these parts is some dived into his physical political life and upbringing while the next one would deal with his personal moral consciousness, for Abraham Lincoln they both played a huge part in his life. The parts explained these stages in his life perfectly, especially for a guy who knew little to nothing of our 16th president religion standpoints and I can honestly say now I have a whole new respect for him.
Lincoln Strategic Politics
Growing up the only thing I knew about Mr. Lincoln was that he saved the slaves and restored our union. I had no idea the level of impact he made even preluding to him being elected president. This book goes into a fine detailed report on how his very name screamed terror and desertion from the south. Shocking enough Abraham Lincoln didt really come out right away saying he wanted to emancipate slavery. On the contrary he just wanted to stop the spread of slavery to the western territory’s. Politically speaking he did this to get a broad range of neutral voters support and right wing republicans which by the way he was apart of. He even came out as gas as to saying he believed in sending African Americans to their own newly invented country. Additionally he was willing to sign bills and plans to pay slave owners compensation for freeing there slaves. All of this as shocking as it seems was part of his political strategy to get slavery to die out on its own corse while maintaining the union. However once States started drifting off eventually forming the Confederacy
and the firing of the rebel canons at Fort Sumter, South Carolina Abraham adapted an all out war political attack and propaganda push to demonize the south for their treason. As the war progressed he waited till the best opertunity to really play out his cards and bring up the true meaning of the war, to end slavery by instilling the emancipation proclamation. Leaving all of this really opened my eyes and killed any notion of what I used to think of the war as state rights against overbearing controlled federalism which I was taught in my southern schools what was the cause of the war. After reading this book you will see that is just not the case. The bondage of our fellow man was the true and really only reason the war started and all the bloodshed that followed suit.
Pictures & Illustrations
I was not disappointed at all with the imagery media content within the book. One of my biggest turn offs is when a book puts random pictures and illustrations or maps into a chapter that goes nothing to what is playing out in the readers mind. Pictures and illustrations are put into historical narration or bibliography’s due support the readers understanding of the situation, not confuse them or have them go back a few chapters to see where the image is in relation to. Jon Meacham did a diverse job in giving the reader relatable images of Abraham Lincoln as his life progressed. This would include historical accurate campgan flyers and pictures of his allies and enemies within congress and senate. Additionally I loved the bonus content in the end that gave the reader a good closing to the whole experience with the knowledge gained in reading the book. My last biggest takeaway was the comparison photo shown to the reader of what President Lincoln looked like before he took office and what 4 years of war and stress did to his body image in mostly the face after the fall of Richmond and the surrender of the Confederacy. It truly painted the picture in what the president went through and how much he should be admired for his sacrifices to the noble cause of ending slavery.
Excellent Range of Information
The last and in my option biggest takeaway from the book was the diverse range of information in Jon Meacham perspective writing. I loved how the author did not just stick with President Lincoln in fact knowledge. On the contrary almost every aspect of his life is capture to include all 4 of his sons and his pleasant but psychotic Wife (Mary Todd Lincoln). With no disrespect her of course but from what I gathered from this book she was not an easy women to be married to, nevertheless one can tell Mr. Lincoln was very found of her and took great care to make her happy….as all us Husbands do our best to do. A happy wife is a happy life after all. In any case, civil war facts, early American politics, state boundaries, troop movements, and Washington D.C way of life during the civil war are all captured. The author also goes into a little bit of the fallout of rights for African Americans after Abraham Lincoln’s death. I truly enjoyed all of it and I look forward to learning so much more in Americas greatest struggle.
Thank you all who took the time to read my post and I 100% recommend this book to all who want to get to know about one of the greatest presidents our country has ever had, President Abraham Lincoln.
-Alex
Articulated Writing
It is very rare to pick up a Historical narrative or Biography and actually feel engaged throughout the whole book. Normally one would hit a dry spell here and there throughtout the chapters, that was never the case for “And There Was Light”. I think this was all due to Jon Meacham ability to mold persuasive and articulated writing skills together. It honestly felt like I was on a tour buss and Jon was the conductor explaining the different aspects of Lincolns life. The verbiage and vocabulary was easy to get through even with my sometimes low IQ reading level and everything seemed to mold together as the author explained multiple stages of Lincoln’s political life.
The Phases of Abraham Lincoln
Yes, I know this is the kind of thing you would hope to see in a biography but honestly I loved how the chapters were organized in 6 unique parts. The order goes Part 1: Clothed in Bone & Nerve, Part 2: The Banner He Bears, Part 3: Right Makes Might, Part 4: My Whole Soul Is In It 1861-1863, Part 5: A New Birth of Freedom 1863-1864, Part 6: His Illimitable Work 2864-The End. What I liked the most about these parts is some dived into his physical political life and upbringing while the next one would deal with his personal moral consciousness, for Abraham Lincoln they both played a huge part in his life. The parts explained these stages in his life perfectly, especially for a guy who knew little to nothing of our 16th president religion standpoints and I can honestly say now I have a whole new respect for him.
Lincoln Strategic Politics
Growing up the only thing I knew about Mr. Lincoln was that he saved the slaves and restored our union. I had no idea the level of impact he made even preluding to him being elected president. This book goes into a fine detailed report on how his very name screamed terror and desertion from the south. Shocking enough Abraham Lincoln didt really come out right away saying he wanted to emancipate slavery. On the contrary he just wanted to stop the spread of slavery to the western territory’s. Politically speaking he did this to get a broad range of neutral voters support and right wing republicans which by the way he was apart of. He even came out as gas as to saying he believed in sending African Americans to their own newly invented country. Additionally he was willing to sign bills and plans to pay slave owners compensation for freeing there slaves. All of this as shocking as it seems was part of his political strategy to get slavery to die out on its own corse while maintaining the union. However once States started drifting off eventually forming the Confederacy
and the firing of the rebel canons at Fort Sumter, South Carolina Abraham adapted an all out war political attack and propaganda push to demonize the south for their treason. As the war progressed he waited till the best opertunity to really play out his cards and bring up the true meaning of the war, to end slavery by instilling the emancipation proclamation. Leaving all of this really opened my eyes and killed any notion of what I used to think of the war as state rights against overbearing controlled federalism which I was taught in my southern schools what was the cause of the war. After reading this book you will see that is just not the case. The bondage of our fellow man was the true and really only reason the war started and all the bloodshed that followed suit.
Pictures & Illustrations
I was not disappointed at all with the imagery media content within the book. One of my biggest turn offs is when a book puts random pictures and illustrations or maps into a chapter that goes nothing to what is playing out in the readers mind. Pictures and illustrations are put into historical narration or bibliography’s due support the readers understanding of the situation, not confuse them or have them go back a few chapters to see where the image is in relation to. Jon Meacham did a diverse job in giving the reader relatable images of Abraham Lincoln as his life progressed. This would include historical accurate campgan flyers and pictures of his allies and enemies within congress and senate. Additionally I loved the bonus content in the end that gave the reader a good closing to the whole experience with the knowledge gained in reading the book. My last biggest takeaway was the comparison photo shown to the reader of what President Lincoln looked like before he took office and what 4 years of war and stress did to his body image in mostly the face after the fall of Richmond and the surrender of the Confederacy. It truly painted the picture in what the president went through and how much he should be admired for his sacrifices to the noble cause of ending slavery.
Excellent Range of Information
The last and in my option biggest takeaway from the book was the diverse range of information in Jon Meacham perspective writing. I loved how the author did not just stick with President Lincoln in fact knowledge. On the contrary almost every aspect of his life is capture to include all 4 of his sons and his pleasant but psychotic Wife (Mary Todd Lincoln). With no disrespect her of course but from what I gathered from this book she was not an easy women to be married to, nevertheless one can tell Mr. Lincoln was very found of her and took great care to make her happy….as all us Husbands do our best to do. A happy wife is a happy life after all. In any case, civil war facts, early American politics, state boundaries, troop movements, and Washington D.C way of life during the civil war are all captured. The author also goes into a little bit of the fallout of rights for African Americans after Abraham Lincoln’s death. I truly enjoyed all of it and I look forward to learning so much more in Americas greatest struggle.
Thank you all who took the time to read my post and I 100% recommend this book to all who want to get to know about one of the greatest presidents our country has ever had, President Abraham Lincoln.
-Alex
October 18, 2022
A very light biography of Lincoln with the usual rehashing of the often told tales. Meacham is attempting to expound on other themes as evidenced by his sidebars, which detract from the essence of Lincoln.
When discussing Lincoln’s heritage, I was a bit surprised to read his assertion that Lincoln spoke quite harshly about his mother. I looked at his sources and he relies solely on William Herndon’s book, which in and of itself is problematic.
If you’re just beginning on you’re Lincoln ride, this book offers a cursory look, but there are so many other volumes to select. .
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the early read.
When discussing Lincoln’s heritage, I was a bit surprised to read his assertion that Lincoln spoke quite harshly about his mother. I looked at his sources and he relies solely on William Herndon’s book, which in and of itself is problematic.
If you’re just beginning on you’re Lincoln ride, this book offers a cursory look, but there are so many other volumes to select. .
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the early read.
May 29, 2023
Same old story which everyone knows.
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