History 353
Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War Era
MWF 12:00 to 12:50, Wyatt 305
Fall 2012
William Breitenbach
Office phone: 879-3167
E-mail: wbreitenbach@ups.edu
Web: http://www.pugetsound.edu/faculty-pages/wbreitenbach
Office: Wyatt 141
Office hours:
MWF 1:00 to 2:00
TTh 12:00 to 1:00
This course focuses on the life of Abraham Lincoln as a way to study the Civil War era in the
United States. Accordingly, the course is both biographical and topical in its approach. It will be
organized chronologically, following the story of Lincoln’s life, with particular topics receiving
attention at appropriate places within the broadly biographical structure. Although some
assignments will be drawn from Lincoln’s speeches and writings, most of the reading will be in
secondary sources. We will sample several of the best recent biographies and scholarly studies of
Lincoln. You will have an opportunity to join the scholarly conversation by participating in class
discussions and by writing papers and exams about important topics in Lincoln historiography.
Here are the course objectives:
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to gain a deeper knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era
to better understand the history of slavery, emancipation, and race relations in 19thcentury America
to learn about biography as a genre of history and to reflect upon the influence or lack of
influence that a single individual can have in shaping historical events
to acquire expertise in a subject with a rich historiography so as to become more skilled
in evaluating conflicting scholarly interpretations
to improve skills of oral expression and argument by participating in class discussions
to improve skills of historical research, analysis, and writing by completing papers and
essay examinations on topics related to Lincoln’s life.
READINGS
The following required books can be purchased at the University Bookstore.
David Herbert Donald, Lincoln (Simon & Schuster, 1995)
Abraham Lincoln, Selected Speeches and Writings (Library of America, 2009)
Eric Foner, ed., Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World (Norton, 2009)
Kenneth J. Winkle, The Young Eagle: The Rise of Abraham Lincoln (Taylor Trade Pub., 2001)
Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (Norton, 2010)
Moodle. Readings marked with “[M]” can be found online at the Moodle website for History
353. I’ll also place on Moodle the syllabus, paper assignment sheets, exam prep sheets, and
other useful information and advice.
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OTHER RESOURCES
According to Eric Foner, more words have been written about Lincoln than about anyone but
Jesus (Our Lincoln, 11). Not all of those words have been sensible ones. Accordingly, you will
need to exercise critical judgment about the quality of your sources when you write your papers.
Do not rely on Google! Instead, begin by looking at the footnotes and bibliographical essays
found in the books that have been assigned for the course. There you will find the primary and
secondary sources that expert historians relied on when they wrote their highly regarded books.
Generally speaking, books that have made it into the collections of Collins Library and the
other SUMMIT libraries are sound academic works. There are many shelves of good Lincoln
books in the E 457 section of our library. They have been left there for you to explore and sign
out, but I want to direct your attention to a few of the most important titles:
Reference works and primary sources:
Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 9 vols. (1953-55), also online
Abraham Lincoln, Speeches and Writings, ed. Don E. Fehrenbacher, 2 vols. (1989)
Mark E. Neely, Jr., The Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia (1982), in the Reference stacks
Earl Schenck Miers, ed., Lincoln Day by Day: A Chronology, 1809-1865, 3 vols. (1960)
Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher, eds., Recollected Words of Abraham
Lincoln (1996)
Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, eds., Herndon’s Informants: Letters, Interviews
and Statements about Abraham Lincoln (1998)
Biographies (in chronological order):
Benjamin P. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography (1952)
Stephen B. Oates, With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (1977)
Mark E. Neely, Jr., The Last Best Hope of Earth: Abraham Lincoln and the Promise of
America (1993)
Allen C. Guelzo, Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President (1999)
William E. Gienapp, Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography (2002)
William Lee Miller, Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography (2002) and President Lincoln:
The Duty of a Statesman (2008)
Richard J. Carwardine, Lincoln (2003)
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (2005)
Ronald C. White, Jr., A. Lincoln: A Biography (2009)
Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, 2 vols. (2009)
Videos in Collins Library:
Lincoln (Kunhardt Productions, Time-Life Video, 1992), 4 videotapes covering 1860-65
Looking for Lincoln (PBS, 2009), DVD, written by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Websites: Use the “Research by Subject” link on the Collins Library website to direct you to
my History 200 “Course Guide,” which in turn can lead you to reliable electronic databases
on U.S. history. For example, you can use the America: History and Life database to identify
relevant scholarly articles and reviews, which can then be read in electronic form (on JSTOR,
Project Muse, or Academic Search Premier) or in hard copy. Use the “Journal Locator” link
in SIMON to find out if a journal is available at Collins in electronic or print format.
In addition to Collins Library databases, I recommend the following websites. Most have
links to other reliable online resources, which can also be used with confidence. Consult me
or a reference librarian before using any online sources that you did not discover through
links on these recommended sites or through links on the Collins Library website.
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http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/projects/lincoln/ This is a companion website for
“Abraham Lincoln at 200: History and Historiography,” a special issue of the Journal of
American History 96 (Sept. 2009) celebrating the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth: The site
has all of the articles from the issue, including a fine historiographical essay by Matthew
Pinsker entitled “Lincoln Theme 2.0.” When you go to the website, click on “Digital
Lincoln” to find, among other things, links to Lincoln sites on the Web and a searchable
bibliography of the more than 200 Lincoln books published since 1995. This is a great site!
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/ This is the website of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History, which focuses on the history of antislavery and slavery in America. The
website has an abundance of wonderful material on Lincoln and the Civil War, including
video and audio podcasts by many of the historians we will be reading. Use the drop-down
menu under “History by Era” to find links to materials on Lincoln and the Civil War Era.
http://abrahamlincolnassociation.org/ This is the website of the Abraham Lincoln
Association. On it, you can do keyword searches in the Collected Works of Abraham
Lincoln. The “Lincoln’s Daily Calendar” link gives a day-by-day chronology of Lincoln’s
life, with links to pertinent documents. There is also an up-to-date “Bibliography” of books,
articles, and reviews. The Abraham Lincoln Association publishes the Journal of the
Abraham Lincoln Association, which can be accessed through a link on this website.
http://www.lincoln-institute.org/index.html This is the website of the Abraham Lincoln
Institute, which is an organization that bills itself as presenting the latest scholarship on
Lincoln. The Institute sponsors annual symposia with presentations by the most prominent
Lincoln scholars (many of whom we will be reading). Since 2005 the presentations at the
symposia have been made available as podcasts, which can be accessed through the website.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html This is the website for the Abraham
Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Here you can do keyword searches or browse the
Abraham Lincoln Papers (unlike the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, the Papers are
mostly incoming letters to Lincoln). This website also has a “Selected Bibliography” (current
to the year 2000) and a list of “Related Resources” with links to sources in Library of
Congress collections and to relevant external websites.
http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu This is the website for the Abraham Lincoln Digitization Project,
which includes many documents, songs, and images from Lincoln’s years in Illinois (18311860). Materials are organized into eight thematic sections and Lincoln’s biography, with
background essays, bibliographies, and video discussions by noted historians.
http://www.gettysburg.edu/about/offices/provost/cwi/ This is the website for the Civil War
Institute at Gettysburg College, which awards the Lincoln Prize. You’ll find information here
about Lincoln, the Civil War, and the battle of Gettysburg.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/disunion/ This New York Times site features
blogs on what was happening during the Civil War on this day 150 years ago. Fascinating!
PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS
Class participation
This will be a discussion class. Discussions work well if everyone shows up for every class
on time with the reading assignment finished (completely read, carefully thought about, notes
taken), with questions to ask and ideas to venture, and with books and notes to refer to when
talking about those ideas. Come to class ready to speak. Collectively and individually, it’s your
task to offer up observations and thoughts for the class to endorse, challenge, and transform.
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Most days there will be 75 to 100 pages of reading assigned, usually drawn from three or
more sources. I recommend that you try to compress your notes for each source so as to fit on
one sheet of paper. Doing this will force you to identify the essence of each author’s argument.
For additional advice on how to be efficient in reading and note-taking, see the following
documents on my webpage: “How to take reading notes,” How to read a secondary source,” and
“How to do the reading in historiographical courses.”
Your regular, informed participation will be important in determining both the success of the
course and the grade you receive in it. After every class I’ll evaluate your contribution to other
students’ learning. Those who make outstanding contributions will get a 4, those who contribute
significantly will get a 3, those who attend but say little will get a 2, those whose behavior makes
it harder for themselves or others to learn (e.g., by arriving late, texting, erecting a laptop wall)
will get a 1, and those who are absent will get a 0. These daily scores will be used to calculate a
participation grade, which will count for 25% of the course grade.
Absences
When students miss more than 20% of the classes (in this course, that’s more than 8 absences), I
have qualms about putting a grade on a transcript testifying to the world that they have performed
adequately in my course. In such cases, I may ask the Registrar to withdraw the student from the
course, which will result in a grade of W or WF, depending on the time of the withdrawal and/or
the quality of the work that has been completed.
Graded work
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four in-class mini-exams spread throughout the semester, counting for 20% of course grade.
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a 5-page paper analyzing a speech by Lincoln during the period from the passage of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act at the end of May 1854 through his tour of New England in March
1860. It is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, October 10. Counts 20%.

a 3-page prospectus for the second paper, due at my office (Wyatt 141) by 4:00 p.m. on
Wednesday, November 14 . Counts 5%.

a 12-to-15-page paper on a topic of your choice arising from Lincoln’s presidential years
(November 1860 to April 1865). This paper, which substitutes for a final exam, will require
some independent research beyond the assigned course readings. It is due at my office
(Wyatt 141) by 12:00 noon on Friday, December 14. Counts 30%.
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class participation, as described above. Counts 25%.
Grades
Grade ranges are: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79),
C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), and F (below 60). I will round up to a
higher letter grade when the numerical score is within 0.2 points of the cut-off (e.g., 89.8 to A-).
Writing help
The Center for Writing and Learning is located in Howarth 109. Its mission is to help all
writers, whatever their level of ability, become better writers. To make an appointment with a
writing advisor, call 879-3404, email writing@ups.edu, or drop by Howarth 109.
Harvard University’s Writing Center has a website with useful advice on writing academic
essays: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/. Click on “Writing Resources.” You’ll find links to
a “Brief Guide to Writing the History Paper” and eighteen helpful “Strategies for Essay Writing.”
Historians use the Chicago Manual citation style. If you are not familiar with it, see Diana
Hacker’s “Research and Documentation Online,” at http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/.
Click on the “History” for instructions, citation examples, and a sample history paper.
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Late work and missing work
Normally I do not grant make-ups, extensions, or “Incomplete” grades, except for weighty
reasons like a family emergency or a serious illness. If you are facing circumstances beyond your
control that might prevent you from finishing a paper or taking a quiz or exam on time, talk to me
in advance about the possibility of getting an extension. As appropriate, please provide written
documentation supporting your request from a medical professional; the Counseling, Health, and
Wellness Services; the Academic Advising Office; or the Dean of Students Office.
Late papers should be slipped under my office door at Wyatt 141. If Wyatt is locked, you
may send the paper by email to stop the penalty clock, but you must subsequently give me an
unaltered hard copy. Late papers will be docked 3.5 points on a 100-point scale (⅓ of a letter
grade) if submitted in the first 24 hours after the deadline. If turned in during the second 24
hours, there will be an additional penalty of 6.5 points (another ⅔ of a letter grade). For each
additional 24-hour period, papers will lose 10 points (a full letter grade), until the points reach 0.
Other policies
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your
course work, please contact Peggy Perno, Director of Disability Services, 105 Howarth Hall, 253879-3395. She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All
information and documentation is confidential.
Students who want to withdraw from the course should read the rules for withdrawal grades
in the Academic Handbook (link provided below). Monday, October 8, is the last day to drop
with an automatic W; thereafter it is much harder to avoid a WF. Students who abandon the
course without officially withdrawing will receive a WF.
Students who cheat or plagiarize, help others cheat or plagiarize, mark or steal library
materials, or otherwise violate the university’s standards of academic integrity will be given an F
for the course and will be reported to the Registrar. Before turning in your first paper, read the
discussion of academic integrity in the Academic Handbook (link provided below). Ignorance of
the concept or consequences of plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse.
In matters not covered by this syllabus, I follow the policies in the current Academic
Handbook, which is available online at http://www.pugetsound.edu/student-life/studentresources/student-handbook/academic-handbook/.
Classroom Emergency Response Guidance
Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at
www.pugetsound.edu/emergency/. There is a link on the university home page. Familiarize
yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory
buildings.
If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g. earthquake), meet your instructor at the
designated gathering area so she/he can account for your presence. Then wait for further
instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency
response representative.
If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your
safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is
not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and
turning off room lights. Lie on the floor out of sight and away from windows and doors. Place
cell phones or pagers on vibrate so that you can receive messages quietly. Wait for further
instructions.
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CLASS SCHEDULE
Reading assignments are to be completed before the class meeting for which they are listed. Bring
to class the assigned readings, your notes, and this syllabus.
Unit 1: Lincoln’s Youth to 1837
1. Mon., Aug. 27: Introduction to the Course
In-class video: “Lincoln: The Untold Stories” (History Channel, 1998), 23 mins.
2. Wed., Aug. 29: Some Current Popular Views of Lincoln
History 353 syllabus (This is your agreement with me. Read it!)
Richard N. Current, “The Most Shut-Mouthed Man,” in The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 1-21 [M]
Time, 4 July 2005, special issue on “Uncovering the Real Abe Lincoln” [M]. Read the
cover story, “The True Lincoln” by Joshua Wolf Shenk, “Life behind the Legend,” and
“The Master of the Game” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Joshua Wolf Shenk, “Lincoln’s Great Depression,” Atlantic Monthly, Oct. 2005, 52-68 [M]
Dinitia Smith, “Finding Homosexual Threads in Lincoln’s Legend,” New York Times, 16
Dec. 2004, E1 [M]
3. Fri., Aug. 31: Some Current Historiographical Views of Lincoln
James M. McPherson, “Abraham Lincoln,” in American National Biography, ed. John A.
Garraty and Mark C. Carnes [M]; OR, as an alternative, you may read the “Chronology”
in Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 459-76 (Jot down possible topics for the second paper.)
Matthew Pinsker, “Lincoln Theme 2.0,” Journal of American History 96 (Sept. 2009): 41740, http://www.journalofamericanhistory.org/projects/lincoln/contents/pinsker.html [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln, “Preface,” 11-14
Foner, Fiery Trial, “Preface,” xv-xxi
If you have time, browse a few of the websites listed on p. 3 of the syllabus.
─ Mon., Sept. 3: LABOR DAY. No class.
4. Wed., Sept. 5: Lincoln’s Youth, 1809-31
Donald, Lincoln, 13-37
Winkle, Young Eagle, ix-30, 37m-41
Foner, Fiery Trial, 3-14
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 238-39
5. Fri., Sept. 7: New Salem, 1831-37
Donald, Lincoln, 38-65
Winkle, Young Eagle, 42-85, 90m-101b, 105-06, 110b-20
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 3-8t, 9m-10t
Unit 2: The Whig from Springfield, 1837-53
6. Mon., Sept. 10: Preparation for Success
Donald, Lincoln, 66-83
Winkle, Young Eagle, 121-48, 156-72b, 176m-85
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 13-21, 34-43, 52b-54, 55b-57b, 77-78, 82m-84
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7. Wed., Sept. 12: Courtship and Marriage, 1837-46
Donald, Lincoln, 83-109
Winkle, Young Eagle, 149-55, 205-30, 277b-88
Jean H. Baker, “Mary and Abraham: A Marriage,” in The Lincoln Enigma: The Changing
Faces of an American Icon, ed. Gabor Boritt (2001), 36-55 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 8-9m, 10-12, 22-24, 26m-33, 43-49m, 68m-70t, 70b-71
8. Fri., Sept. 14: Transitions and Transformations?
Douglas L. Wilson, “Young Man Lincoln,” in The Lincoln Enigma: The Changing Faces of
an American Icon, ed. Gabor Boritt, 20-35 [M]
Douglas L. Wilson, “Transitions and Transformations,” in Honor’s Voice: The
Transformation of Abraham Lincoln, 293-323 [M]
Richard S. Taylor, “Telling Lincoln’s Story,” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association
21 (Summer 2000): 44-68 [M]
9. Mon., Sept. 17: Lincoln and the Whigs
Donald, Lincoln, 109-18
Winkle, Young Eagle, 186-204
Foner, Fiery Trial, 14-41
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 25-27, 49-51t
10. Wed., Sept. 19: Congressman Lincoln, 1847-49
Donald, Lincoln, 118-41
Winkle, Young Eagle, 231-48
Foner, Fiery Trial, 51-60m
William Lee Miller, Lincoln’s Virtues, 175m-83t, 192-97m, 222b-26m [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 51-52, 54b-55, 57b-68, 70-75, 79-80b
11. Fri., Sept. 21: Historiography of Lincoln as Whig Partisan
Richard N. Current, “The Master Politician,” in The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 210-11 [M]
Joel H. Silbey, “‘Always a Whig in Politics’: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln,”
Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 8 (1986) [M]
Daniel Walker Howe, “Why Abraham Lincoln Was a Whig,” Journal of the Abraham
Lincoln Association 16 (Winter 1995) [M]
William Lee Miller, Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography (2002), 92-115 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Sean Wilentz, “Abraham Lincoln and Jacksonian Democracy,” 62-79
12. Mon., Sept. 24: Illinois Lawyer, 1849-54
Donald, Lincoln, 142-67
Winkle, Young Eagle, 249-68
Foner, Fiery Trial, 41-51, 60m-62
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 80b-82m, 85-90
Unit 3: Antislavery Politics, 1854-60
13. Wed., Sept. 26: Kansas-Nebraska, 1854-56
Donald, Lincoln, 167-95
Winkle, Young Eagle, 289-97
Foner, Fiery Trial, 63-84
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 91-107
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14. Fri., Sept. 28: From Whig to Republican, 1856-57
Foner, Fiery Trial, 84-91
Foner, Our Lincoln: Richard Carwardine, “Lincoln’s Religion,” 232-37
Robert W. Johannsen, Lincoln, the South, and Slavery, 22b-58b [M]
William Lee Miller, Lincoln’s Virtues, 282m-88b [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 108-128b
15. Mon., Oct. 1: House Divided, 1857-58
Donald, Lincoln, 196-209
Winkle, Young Eagle, 298-301b
Foner, Fiery Trial, 92-104m
Don E. Fehrenbacher, “The Origins and Purpose of Lincoln’s ‘House-Divided’ Speech,”
Mississippi Valley Historical Review 46 (Mar. 1960): 615-43; JSTOR stable URL
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1886280 [M]
Robert W. Johannsen, Lincoln, the South, and Slavery, 58b-64b [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 128b-48
16. Wed., Oct. 3: Lincoln-Douglas Debates, 1858
Donald, Lincoln, 209-29
Winkle, Young Eagle, 302t-303t
Foner, Fiery Trial, 104m-11
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 149-99
Optional: If you have 34 minutes, you can watch a video of Allen C. Guelzo lecturing on the
debates: http://www.lincoln-institute.org/symposia/sym2008/videos/guelzo.htm [M]
17. Fri., Oct. 5: Lincoln’s Views as of 1859
Robert W. Johannsen, Lincoln, the South, and Slavery, 65-68 [M]
Foner, Fiery Trial, 112-31
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 200-37
18. Mon., Oct. 8: Winning the Nomination and the Election, 1860
Donald, Lincoln, 230-56
Winkle, Young Eagle, 303-15
Foner, Fiery Trial, 132-44b
Foner, Our Lincoln: Harold Holzer, “Visualizing Lincoln,” read 80-87 only
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 240-72
19. Wed., Oct. 10: State of the Union
Phillip Shaw Paludan, The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, 3-20 [M]
First paper due at the beginning of class. Brief presentations will be given in class.
Unit 4: Secession and Civil War, 1860-62
20. Fri., Oct. 12: The New President Tested, December 1860 to March 1861
Donald, Lincoln, 257-284
Foner, Fiery Trial, 144b-160b
Phillip Shaw Paludan, The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, 24t-30b [M]
Richard N. Current, “The Man Who Said No,” in The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 100-03 [M]
James Oakes, “What’s So Special about a Team of Rivals?” NY Times, 20 Nov. 2008 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 273-93t
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─ Mon., Oct. 15: FALL BREAK. No class.
21. Wed., Oct. 17: War Fever, April to July 1861
Donald, Lincoln, 285-308b
Foner, Fiery Trial, 160b-65
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 293-315
22. Fri., Oct. 19: Limited War, July to December 1861
Donald, Lincoln, 308b-27m
Foner, Fiery Trial, 166-89t
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, 54-59 (cloth ed.) [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 316-27m
23. Mon., Oct. 22: Generals and Radicals, January to June 1862
Donald, Lincoln, 328-58
Foner, Fiery Trial, 189-205
T. Harry Williams, Lincoln and the Radicals, 71-76 [M]
Richard N. Current, “The Military Genius,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 140-51 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 327m-34
24. Wed., Oct. 24: War President and Commander in Chief (There will be a choice of readings.)
Foner, Our Lincoln: James M. McPherson, “A. Lincoln, Commander in Chief,” 19-36
Don E. Fehrenbacher, “Lincoln’s Wartime Leadership: The First Hundred Days,” Journal
of the Abraham Lincoln Association 9 (1987): 1-18 [M]
T. Harry Williams, “Lincoln, the Military Strategist,” in Abraham Lincoln: A New Portrait,
ed. Henry B. Kranz, 83-90 [M]
Herman Hattaway and Archer Jones, “Lincoln as Military Strategist,” Civil War History 26
(Dec. 1980): 293-303 [M]
Richard N. Current, “The Military Genius,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 160b-63 [M]
Gerald J. Prokopowicz, “Military Fantasies,” in The Lincoln Enigma: The Changing Faces
of an American Icon, ed. Gabor Boritt, 56-71 [M]
David Herbert Donald, “Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as Commanders in Chief,”
in The Lincoln Enigma, ed. Gabor Boritt, 72-85 [M]
James M. McPherson, “Lincoln and the Strategy of Unconditional Surrender,” in Abraham
Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, 65-91 [M]
25. Fri., Oct. 26: The Coming of Emancipation, June to September 1862
Donald, Lincoln, 358-76
Foner, Fiery Trial, 206-34b
Phillip Shaw Paludan, The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, xiii-xvii [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 335-347
Optional: If you have the time and interest, you might listen to Allen C. Guelzo, “The
Emancipation Proclamation” (Gilder Lehrman Institute, 2004; 40 mins.)
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historians/podcasts/podcast.php?podcast_id=20 [M]
26. Mon., Oct. 29: Elections and Emancipation, September 1862 to January 1863
Donald, Lincoln, 377-408
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, 157-69 (cloth ed.) [M]
Foner, Fiery Trial, 234b-47
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 348-71t
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27. Wed., Oct. 31: Lincoln and the Abolitionists
In-class video: “Looking for Lincoln,” approx. 5 mins.
Lerone Bennett, Jr., “Was Abe Lincoln a White Supremacist?” Ebony, Feb. 1968 [M]
Don E. Fehrenbacher, “Only His Stepchildren: Lincoln and the Negro,” Civil War History
20 (Dec. 1974): 293-310 [M]
Guelzo, “Lincoln and the Abolitionists,” Wilson Quarterly 24 (autumn 2000): 58-71 [M]
William Lee Miller, Lincoln’s Virtues, 353-61 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Manisha Sinha, “Allies for Emancipation? Lincoln and Black
Abolitionists,” 167-96
28. Fri., Nov. 2: Equal Rights and American Exceptionalism
LaWanda Cox, Lincoln and Black Freedom, 3-7, 10b-11 [M]
George M. Fredrickson, “A Man but Not a Brother: Abraham Lincoln and Racial
Equality,” Journal of Southern History 41 (Feb. 1975): 39-58 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: James Oakes, “Natural Rights, Citizenship Rights, States’ Rights, and
Black Rights: Another Look at Lincoln and Race,” 109-34
Dorothy Ross, “Lincoln and the Ethics of Emancipation: Universalism, Nationalism,
Exceptionalism,” Journal of American History 96 (Sept. 2009): 379-99, available in
History Cooperative, http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jah/96.2/ross.html [M]
29. Mon., Nov. 5: Colonization Abroad or Equality in the United States?
LaWanda Cox, Lincoln and Black Freedom, 20-23, 35-36t [M]
Richard N. Current, “The Friend of Freedom,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 220-30 [M]
Michael Vorenberg, "Abraham Lincoln and the Politics of Black Colonization," Journal of
the Abraham Lincoln Association 14 (Summer 1993): 23-45 [M]
Gabor Boritt, “Did He Dream of a Lily-White America? The Voyage to Linconia,” in The
Lincoln Enigma: The Changing Faces of an American Icon, ed. Boritt, 1-19 [M]
Phillip Shaw Paludan, “Lincoln and Colonization: Policy or Propaganda?” Journal of the
Abraham Lincoln Association 25 (Winter 2004): 23-37 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Foner, “Lincoln and Colonization,” 135-66 (skim 137-44)
Unit 5: The Hard Hand of War, January 1863 to April 1865
30. Wed., Nov. 7: Dissent and Civil Liberties, January to June 1863
Donald, Lincoln, 408-44m
Foner, Fiery Trial, 248-65t (and review 137-38)
Mark E. Neely, Jr., The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties, xi-xiii, 223-24,
232-35 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Neely, “The Constitution and Civil Liberties under Lincoln,” 45m-52m,
59m-61
Paul Finkelman, “Civil Liberties and Civil War: The Great Emancipator as Civil Libertarian,”
Michigan Law Review 91 (May 1993): 1377-81 only [M]
Daniel Farber, Lincoln’s Constitution, 144-46, 157-75, 196-200 [M]
James M. McPherson, “Lincoln and Liberty,” in Abraham Lincoln and the Second
American Revolution, 43-48b, 56b-64 [M]
David Donald, “A Whig in the White House,” in Lincoln Reconsidered, 2nd ed., 196-208 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 298-99, 348, 371-82
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History 353
Fall 2012
31. Fri., Nov. 9: New Birth of Freedom, June to November 1863
Donald, Lincoln, 444-66
Foner, Fiery Trial, 265t-71t
Garry Wills, “The Words that Remade America: Lincoln at Gettysburg,” Atlantic Monthly,
June 1992, 57-79 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 382-405
32. Mon., Nov. 12: Wartime Reconstruction Policies, December 1863 to March 1864
Donald, Lincoln, 467-92
Foner, Fiery Trial, 271t-96t
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 406-19
33. Wed., Nov. 14: Re-nomination and Re-election Campaigns, April to July 1864
Donald, Lincoln, 493-516
Foner, Fiery Trial, 296t-302m
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 419-28t
Prospectus for second paper is due by 4:00 p.m. today at my office (Wyatt 141).
34. Fri., Nov. 16: Re-election, July to November 1864
Donald, Lincoln, 517-54
Foner, Fiery Trial, 302-14b
Michael Fellman, “Lincoln and Sherman,” Lincoln’s Generals, ed. Boritt, 139b-50 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 428m-39
35. Mon., Nov. 19: Negotiations and Inauguration, December 1864 to March 1865
Donald, Lincoln, 555-74
Foner, Fiery Trial, 314b-28m
Richard N. Current, “The Peace-Maker,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 237-47 [M]
Garry Wills, “Lincoln’s Greatest Speech?” Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 1999, 60-70 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Richard Carwardine, “Lincoln’s Religion,” 230-32t, 237m-48
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 440-51
─ Wed., Nov. 21: THANKSGIVING BREAK. No class.
─ Fri., Nov. 23: THANKSGIVING BREAK. No class.
36. Mon., Nov. 26: The Final Month, April 1865
Donald, Lincoln, 575-99
Foner, Fiery Trial, 328m-33b
William C. Harris, “Toward Appomattox, Toward Unconditional Surrender?” in The
Lincoln Enigma, ed. Gabor Boritt, 108-29 [M]
Lincoln, Selected Speeches, 452-58
Unit 6: Lincoln’s Legacies, 1865 to the Present
37. Wed., Nov. 28: Martyrdom and Apotheosis
Richard N. Current, “The Martyr and the Myth,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 272-287 [M]
Merrill D. Peterson, “Apotheosis,” in Lincoln in American Memory, 3-35 [M]
Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” [M]
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History 353
Fall 2012
38. Fri., Nov. 30: What If? Reconstructions, Real and Imagined
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, 235b-44b (cloth ed.) [M]
Richard N. Current, “The Martyr and the Myth,” The Lincoln Nobody Knows, 266-72 [M]
Foner, Fiery Trial, 333b-36
LaWanda Cox, Lincoln and Black Freedom, chap. 5, “Reflections on the Limits of the
Possible,” 142-55m, 171b-73b [M]
Phillip Shaw Paludan, Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, 306m-311 [M]
William C. Harris, “Epilogue,” With Charity for All: Lincoln and the Restoration of the
Union, 265-70t, 274-75 [M]
39. Mon., Dec. 3: Legacies
Phillip Shaw Paludan, Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, 315-19 [M]
James M. McPherson, “Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, in
Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, 37-42 [M]
Daniel Walker Howe, The Political Culture of the American Whigs, 297-98 [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: Andrew Delbanco, “Lincoln’s Sacramental Language,” 214-22
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, 245-50 (cloth ed.) [M]
Foner, Our Lincoln: David W. Blight, “The Theft of Lincoln in Scholarship, Politics, and
Public Memory,” 269-82
Allen C. Guelzo, “The Missing Lincoln: Remarks on the Acceptance of the Lincoln Prize”
(2000) [M]
40: Wed., Dec. 5: Conclusion and Review
Bring in an item you found during the semester that reveals an interesting contemporary
appropriation or misappropriation of Lincoln.
A 12-to-15-page paper is due at Wyatt 141 by 12:00 noon on Friday, Dec. 14.
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