and there was light abraham lincoln and the american struggle

Vice President John Breckinridge, who had just been defeated by Lincoln in the general election, oversaw the counting of the electoral votes on February 13 (this was before the inauguration was moved to January). Meacham provides a detailed account of the events between Lincoln’s election in 1860 and his inauguration in March 1863. Meacham see’s Lincoln as a providing a path, one in which we hold tightly to what is good and nobly while also being gracious to our enemies.

His writings provide insights for our nation to move forward, even when deeply divided. In both books, Meacham does more than write about the past. In this book, he begins with Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which is often considered the most theological of all inaugural addresses and was given just weeks before Lincoln’s assassination. This book builds on Meacham’s earlier book, The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels. In the Soul of America, the author drew heavily around Lincoln’s first inaugural address. But Lincoln was able to draw from his experiences and find the strength to become what many historians believe to be the best president in America’s history. He also was a flawed man, hating slavery but not necessarily believing in equality of the races. A politician who had served in the state house and one term at the Capitol in the House of Representatives, Lincoln seemed unsuited to lead the nation through our most trying hour.

He also delves, as much as one can, into Lincoln’s private faith that allowed him to continue in his position while the nation was being tested and as he endured personal tragedies including the loss of children and the challenges of an unstable wife. Meacham provides a biographical portrait of Lincoln, with an eye on the President’s struggle during the Civil War. This is an excellent book that needs to be read and studied by Americans today. (New York: Random House, 2022), 713 pages (37-page prologue, 421 pages of text, 225 pages of notes on sources and bibliography, an index) plus 16 inserted color plates.

And there was light abraham lincoln and the american struggle