Brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln

There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence — on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal — and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself.

We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes. Written by a native of England and originally published inthe biography is a rare blend of beautiful prose and profound historical insight.

Lincoln forged a hard path toward mental health from the time he was a young man. Shenk draws from historical records, interviews with Lincoln scholars, and contemporary research on depression to understand the nature of his unhappiness. This favorite among books on Abraham Lincoln explores his most influential and widely reported pre-presidential address — an extraordinary appeal by the western politician to the eastern elite that propelled him toward the Republican nomination for president.

Douglas on the question of slavery. Though Abraham Lincoln had hundreds of acquaintances and dozens of admirers, he had almost no intimate friends. Behind his mask of affability and endless stream of humorous anecdotes, he maintained an inviolate reserve that only a few were ever able to penetrate. Although the private lives of political couples have in our era become front-page news, the true story of this extraordinary and tragic first family has never been fully told.

Inthe Supreme Court issued its controversial Dred Scott decision, declaring Black people were not citizens and had no inherent rights. Lincoln decided to challenge sitting U. Senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. Senate campaign against Douglas, he participated in seven debates held in different cities across Illinois. But the central issue was slavery.

Newspapers intensely covered the debates, often times with partisan commentary. In the end, the state legislature elected Douglas, but the exposure vaulted Lincoln into national politics. With his newly enhanced political profile, inpolitical operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to support Lincoln for the presidency. Chase of Ohio.

In the November general election, Lincoln faced his friend and rival Stephen Douglas, this time besting him in a four-way race that included John C. Lincoln received not quite 40 percent of the popular vote but carried of Electoral College votes, thus winning the U. He grew his trademark beard after his election. Following his election to the presidency inLincoln selected a strong cabinet composed of many of his political rivals, including William Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates, and Edwin Stanton. In the early morning hours of April 12,the guns stationed to protect the harbor blazed toward the fort, signaling the start of the U. Crushing the rebellion would be difficult under any circumstances, but the Civil War, after decades of white-hot partisan politics, was especially onerous. From all directions, Lincoln faced disparagement and defiance.

He was often at odds with his generals, his cabinet, his party, and a majority of the American people. On January 1,Lincoln delivered his official Emancipation Proclamationreshaping the cause of the Civil War from saving the Union to abolishing slavery. And the Union victory at Antietam on September 22,while by no means conclusive, was hopeful.

It gave Lincoln the confidence to officially change the goals of the war. On that same day, he issued a preliminary proclamation that slaves in states rebelling against the Union would be free as of January 1. In the far reaches of western Texas, that day finally came on June 19, —more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln. For decades, many Black Americans have celebrated this anniversary, known as Juneteenth or Emancipation Day, and inPresident Joe Biden made Juneteenth a national holiday.

Still, the Emancipation Proclamation did have some immediate impact. It permitted Black Americans to serve in the Union Army for the first time, which contributed to the eventual Union victory. The historic declaration also paved the way for the passage of the 13 th Amendment that ended legal slavery in the United States. On November 19,Lincoln delivered what would become his most famous speech and one of the most important speeches in American history: the Gettysburg Address.

Addressing a crowd of around 15, people, Lincoln delivered his word speech at one of the bloodiest battlefields of the Civil War, the Gettysburg National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. The Civil War, Lincoln said, was the ultimate test of the preservation of the Union created inand the people who died at Gettysburg fought to uphold this cause. A common interpretation was that the president was expanding the cause of the Civil War from simply reunifying the Union to also fighting for equality and abolishing slavery.

His nemesis George B. Lincoln, who probably could have had his choice of more established attorneys, was tired of being the junior partner and entered into a partnership with William Herndonwho had been reading law in the offices of Logan and Lincoln. Herndon, like Lincoln, was an active Whig, but the party in Illinois at that time was split into two factions.

Lincoln was connected to the older, "silk stocking" element of the party through his marriage to Mary Todd ; Herndon was one of the leaders of the younger, more populist portion of the party. The Lincoln-Herndon partnership continued through Lincoln's presidential election, and Lincoln remained a partner of record until his death. Before his partnership with Herndon, Lincoln had not regularly attended court in neighboring communities.

This changed as Lincoln became one of the most active regulars on the circuit throughinterrupted only by his two-year stint in Congress. The Eighth Circuit covered 11, square miles 28, km 2. On the road, lawyers and judges lived in cheap hotels, with two lawyers to a bed; and six or eight men to a room. Lincoln's reputation for integrity and fairness on the circuit led to him being in high demand both from clients and local attorneys who needed assistance.

It was during his time riding the circuit that he picked up one of his lasting nicknames, "Honest Abe". The clients he represented, the men he rode the circuit with, and the lawyers he met along the way became some of Lincoln's most loyal political supporters. Davis joined the circuit in as a judge and brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln occasionally appoint Lincoln to fill in for him.

They traveled the circuit for eleven years, and Lincoln would eventually appoint him to the United States Supreme Court. Lamon, the only local attorney with whom Lincoln had a formal working agreement, accompanied Lincoln to Washington in Unlike other attorneys on the circuit, Lincoln did not supplement his income by engaging in real estate speculation or operating a business or a farm.

His income was generally what he earned practicing law. On his return from his single term in the U. House of Representatives, Lincoln turned down an offer of a partnership in a Chicago law firm. Lincoln was involved in at least two cases involving slavery. In an Illinois Supreme Court case, Bailey v. CromwellLincoln successfully prevented the sale of a woman who was alleged to be a slave, making the argument that in Illinois "the presumption of law was Matson brought slaves from his Kentucky plantation to work on land he owned in Illinois.

In this case, Lincoln invoked the right of transit, which allowed slaveholders to take their slaves temporarily into free territory.

Brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln: Here are few lessons CEOs can

Lincoln also stressed that Matson did not intend to have the slaves remain permanently in Illinois. Even with these arguments, judges in Coles County ruled against Lincoln, and the slaves were set free. Railroads became an important economic force in Illinois in the s. As they expanded they created myriad legal issues regarding "charters and franchises; problems relating to right-of-way; problems concerning evaluation and taxation; problems relating to the duties of common carriers and the rights of passengers; problems concerning merger, consolidation, and receivership.

Like the slave cases, sometimes Lincoln would represent the railroads and sometimes he would represent their adversaries. He had no legal or political agenda that was reflected in his choice of clients. Herndon referred to Lincoln as "purely and entirely a case lawyer. Barret, a shareholder. Barret refused to pay the balance on his pledge to the railroad on the grounds that it had changed its originally planned route.

Lincoln argued that as a matter of law, a corporation is not bound by its original charter when that charter can be amended in the public interest. Lincoln also argued that the newer route proposed by Alton and Sangamon was superior and less expensive, and accordingly, the corporation had a right to sue Barret for his delinquent payment. Lincoln won this case and the Illinois Supreme Court decision was eventually cited by other U.

The most important civil case for Lincoln was the landmark Hurd v. America's expansion west, which Lincoln strongly supported, was seen as an economic threat to the river trade, which ran north-to-south, primarily along the Mississippi River. It was the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi River. The steamboat owner sued for damages, claiming the bridge was a hazard to navigation, but Lincoln argued in court for the railroad and won, removing a costly impediment to western expansion by establishing the right of land routes to bridge waterways.

Criminal law made up a small part of Lincoln and Herndon's casework. William "Duff" Armstrong had been charged with murder. The case became famous for Lincoln's use of judicial notice —a rare tactic at that time—to show that an eyewitness had lied on the stand. After the witness testified to having seen the crime by moonlight, Lincoln produced a Farmers' Almanac to show that the moon on that date was at such a low angle it could not have provided enough illumination to see anything clearly.

Based almost entirely on this evidence, Armstrong was acquitted. From Bergen's recollection, the prosecution had objected upon Lincoln's demonstration from the almanac and compared it to an almanac in their possession, only to find that Lincoln's was genuine. Lincoln was involved in more than 5, brendan mckinsey biographies of abraham lincoln in Illinois alone during his year legal career.

Though many of these cases involved little more than filing a writ, others were more substantial and quite involved. Lincoln and his partners appeared before the Illinois State Supreme Court more than times. Abraham Lincoln is the only U. At one point the boat slid onto a dam and was set free only after heroic efforts. In later years, while traveling on the Great Lakes, Lincoln's ship ran afoul of a sandbar.

The resulting invention consists of a set of bellows attached to the hull of a ship just below the water line. On reaching a shallow place, the bellows are filled with air, and the vessel, thus buoyed, is expected to float clear. The invention was never marketed, probably because the extra weight would have increased the probability of running onto sandbars more frequently.

Lincoln whittled the model for his patent application with his own hands. In Lincoln called the introduction of patent laws one of the three most important developments "in the world's history. Historians do not agree on the significance or nature of their relationship, but, according to many she was his first and perhaps most passionate love.

At first, they were probably just close friends, but soon they had reached an understanding that they would be married as soon as Ann had completed her studies at the Female Academy in Jacksonville. Their plans were cut short in the summer of when what was probably typhoid fever hit New Salem. Ann died on August 25,and Lincoln went through a period of extreme melancholy that lasted for months.

In either orLincoln met Mary Owensthe sister of his friend Elizabeth Abell, when she was visiting from her home in Kentucky. Inin a conversation with Elizabeth, Lincoln agreed to court Mary if she ever returned to New Salem. On August 16,Lincoln wrote Mary a letter from Springfield suggesting an end to the relationship. She never replied and the courtship was over.

Edwards, son of Ninian Edwards. Mary was popular in the Springfield social scene but soon was attracted to Lincoln. Sometime inthe two became engaged. They initially set a January 1,wedding date, but mutually called it off. Lincoln proposed marriage to Sarah in but was rejected. Sarah later said that "his peculiar manner and his General deportment would not be likely to fascinate a young girl just entering the society world".

Lincoln still had conflicted feelings concerning Mary Todd. In August he visited Joshua Speedhis close friend and former roommate, who had moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Lincoln met Speed's fiancee while there, and after his return to Springfield.

Brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln: History is a great

Speed and Lincoln corresponded over Speed's own doubts about marriage. Lincoln advised Speed and helped convince him to proceed with the marriage. In turn, Speed urged Lincoln to do the same. Lincoln resumed his courtship of Mary, and on November 4,they were married at the Edwards's home. In a letter written a few days after the wedding, Lincoln wrote, "Nothing new here except my marrying, which to me, is matter of profound wonder.

The couple had four sons. He was their only child to survive into adulthood. Robert died on July 26,in Manchester, Vermont.

Brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln: Leveraging over 25 years'

The other Lincoln sons were born in Springfield, Illinois, and died either during childhood or their teen years. Lieutenant David H. Todd, Mary's half-brother, served as commandant of the Libby Prison camp during the war. In the winter of —, with the strong encouragement of his wife, Lincoln decided to pursue election to the United States House of Representatives from the newly created Seventh Congressional District.

His main rivals were his friends, Edward D. Baker and John J. On February 14 Lincoln told a local Whig political leader, "if you should hear any one say that Lincoln don't want to go to Congress, I wish you as a personal friend of mine, would tell him you have reason to believe he is mistaken. The truth is, I would like to go very much. At the end of February the Whigs met in Springfield, where Lincoln wrote the party platform "opposing direct federal taxes and endorsing a protective tariff, a national bank, distribution to the states of proceeds from federal land sales, and the convention system of choosing candidates.

Lincoln was selected as a delegate to the district convention which met on May 1 in Pekin. Although Lincoln worked hard for Baker, Hardin was selected as the Whig candidate, winning by a single vote. Lincoln then initiated a resolution that endorsed Baker for the nomination in two years. The resolution passed, which seemed to set a precedent for a single term with rotation among the party's leaders, and suggested that Lincoln would be next in line after Baker.

In Lincoln campaigned enthusiastically for Henry Clay, the Whig nominee for president and a personal hero of Lincoln. On the campaign trail Lincoln and the other Illinois Whigs emphasized tariff issues, while touting the economic success of the Tariff of that had been passed in Congress under Whig leadership. Part of the campaign pitted Lincoln in a series of debates against Democrat John Calhoun, a candidate for Congress.

Campaigning in Illinois for most ofLincoln spoke out against the annexation of Texas a potential slave territorypromoted national and state banks, and opposed a wave of nativism that would become a major political issue a decade later. On the last issue Lincoln declared that "the guarantee of the rights of conscience, as found in our Constitution, is most sacred and inviolable, and one that belongs no less to the Catholic, than to the Protestant; and that all attempts to abridge or interfere with these rights, either of Catholic or Protestant, directly or indirectly, have our decided disapprobation, and shall ever have our most effective opposition.

Clay's opponent, James K. Polkcarried Illinois and also won the presidency. In Illinois and elsewhere Polk's support for the acquisition of Texas and Oregon seemed to carry the day. Lincoln and many other Whigs blamed the free soil Liberty Party for dividing the vote in New York, which allowed Polk to carry that state and achieve the majority in the electoral college.

In responding to an antislavery Whig, who equated voting for Clay, a slaveholder, as "do[ing] evil", Lincoln asked, "If the fruit of electing Mr. Clay would have been to prevent the extension of slavery, could the act of electing him have been evil? Hardin did not run for reelection in ; the Whig nomination, as previously agreed, went to Baker, who won election to the seat.

Baker agreed not to run for reelection inbut Hardin considered a run for his old brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln. Much of the Seventh District was included within the judicial circuit that Lincoln rode, so beginning in Septemberhe began soliciting the support of Whig leaders and editors as he moved through the circuit.

Lincoln emphasized that Hardin should be bound by the understanding reached at Pekin in The debate over what had actually been agreed on in became public and bitter. In the end Hardin withdrew and Lincoln secured the Whig nomination. The Democrats nominated Peter Cartwright, a circuit-riding Methodist preacher. Lincoln campaigned throughout the district, where he was already well known.

Speaking of his actual campaign expenses, Lincoln noted, "I made the canvass on my own horse; my entertainment, being at the houses of friends, cost me nothing; and my only outlay was seventy-five cents for a barrel of cider which some farm-hands insisted I should treat them to. Cartwright avoided joint appearances with Lincoln and initiated a "whispering campaign" that accused Lincoln of being an infidel and a religious skeptic.

Lincoln responded by pointing out that the Illinois constitution had no religious qualifications for office. On July 31 he published a handbill that admitted he was not a member of a specific Christian church, but denied that he was an "open scoffer at Christianity" or had ever "denied the truth of the Scriptures. Lincoln won the election with 56 percent of the vote, topping the numbers of Hardin 53 percent and Baker 52 percent in their elections.

Due to the timing of the elections, the Thirtieth Congress did not convene until December House of Representatives inrepresenting the 7th congressional district of Illinois. As a freshman House member, he was not a particularly powerful or influential figure. He spoke out against the Mexican—American Warwhich he attributed to President Polk's brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln for "military glory—that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood.

Lincoln later damaged his political reputation with a speech in which he declared, "God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just. While no one in Washington paid attention to Lincoln, the Democrats orchestrated angry outbursts from across his district, where the war was popular and many had volunteered.

In Morgan County, Illinois, resolutions were adopted in fervent support of the war and in wrathful denunciation of the "treasonable assaults of guerrillas at home; party demagogues; slanderers of the President; defenders of the butchery at the Alamo ; traducers of the heroism at San Jacinto ". In the presidential election, Lincoln supported war hero Zachary Taylor for the Whig nomination and for president in the general election.

In abandoning Clay, Lincoln argued that Taylor was the only Whig that was electable. Following Taylor's successful nomination, Lincoln urged Taylor to run a campaign emphasizing his personal traits, while leaving the controversial issues to be resolved by Congress. While Congress was in session Lincoln spoke in favor of Taylor on the House floor, and when it adjourned in August, he remained in Washington to assist Whig Executive Committee of Congress in the campaign.

Remembering the election ofLincoln addressed potential Free Soil voters by saying that the Whigs were equally opposed to slavery and the only issue was how they could most effectively vote against the expansion of slavery. Lincoln argued that a vote for the Free Soil candidate, former President Martin Van Burenwould divide the antislavery vote and give the election to the Democratic candidate, Lewis Cass.

With Taylor's victory, the incoming administration, perhaps remembering Lincoln's criticism of Taylor during the Mexican—American Waroffered Lincoln only the governorship of remote Oregon Territory. Accepting it would end his career in the fast-growing state of Illinois, so he declined and returned to Springfield, Illinoiswhere he turned most of his energies to his law practice.

Contents move to sidebar hide. February 3, at pm. Lincoln and Garfield are my two favorite presidents to research. Hope you get the chance to check it out. February 4, at am. Jeremy said:. October 22, at am. Thank you! October 22, at pm. But…only a little bit jealous as the thought of writing a dissertation right now might make me break out in hives.

Fukuzawa Yukichi said:. January 9, at pm. January 10, at am. Yes, I would strongly encourage you to read it! Otherwise, I love your presidential biographies ratings. I got a lot out of them. January 25, at am. I need to do that.

Brendan mckinsey biography of abraham lincoln: The McKinsey Global Institute was established

June 9, at am. Fantastic compilation and great work as always! As a lover of all things Lincoln, I have thoroughly enjoyed your list here. If you have not already read or considered it, I humbly recommend it. If you do consider it, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. June 10, at am. Thanks so much for the recommendation! And there can never be too many biographies of Lincoln, can there?!?

Rob said:. July 1, at pm. In looking over your blog which is excellent, by the way I noticed you mention Ida M. That got my attention as I am in the process of writing a full biography of Tarbell. While her book is obviously much older than many, it still has a great deal of value. Of course, Tarbell is best known for her expose on John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil, but she often said that she most enjoyed working on Lincoln.

January 2, at pm. I just saw that Michael Burlingame released an abridged, single-volume edition of his work in October of Curious if that will address some of the issues you highlighted in your review. Rob Wick said:. It was done by another professor named Jonathan White. Warren said:. August 12, at am. August 16, at am. I recall it being published last year and taking a look to see if it was something I needed to read for this site.

Is there any speculation in any of these biographies. I think this was all started by a one page magazine article noting that Lincoln shared a bed with a male roommate…. Share this: Twitter Facebook Email Tumblr. Like Loading Steve said: June 30, at am. Both of these bios are pretty captivating so I imagine a high percentage of folks who start actually do get through them… Reply.

Peter said: January 26, at pm. Steve said: January 27, at am. Fascinating and well worth a listen — thanks! Fantastic information. Steve said: March 14, at am. Thanks and welcome! Richard said: March 20, at am. Steve said: March 24, at am. Steve said: January 19, at am. Don said: March 9, at am. Steve said: March 9, at am. Don said: March 12, at pm.

Kyle said: April 18, at am. Steve said: April 19, at pm. Rick Garner said: September 26, at pm. Steve said: September 27, at am. Joe said: October 15, at pm. Steve said: October 16, at am. Steve said: November 13, at am. Steve said: November 17, at am. Joan Plamp said: February 24, at pm. Steve said: February 25, at pm. Laura Martinez said: March 2, at am.

Steve said: March 5, at am. Steve said: August 20, at am. Steve said: August 21, at am. Marc Mishkin said: April 4, at pm. Marc Mishkin Lakewood, Colorado Reply.