The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery“A masterwork [by] the preeminent historian of the Civil War era.”—Boston Globe Selected as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review, this landmark work gives us a definitive account of Lincoln's lifelong engagement with the nation's critical issue: American slavery. A master historian, Eric Foner draws Lincoln and the broader history of the period into perfect balance. We see Lincoln, a pragmatic politician grounded in principle, deftly navigating the dynamic politics of antislavery, secession, and civil war. Lincoln's greatness emerges from his capacity for moral and political growth. |
Contents
2 | 33 |
3 | 63 |
4 | 92 |
5 | 132 |
The Meaning of the War | 323 |
Acknowledgments | 337 |
Abbreviations Used in Notes | 347 |
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36th Congress abolish slavery abolition abolitionism abolitionist Abraham Lincoln amendment American antislavery army August bill black soldiers Blair border Burlingame campaign Charles Sumner Chase Civil coln colonization compensation Confederacy Confederate Confiscation Act Congress congressional constitutional convention Davis debate December declared Democrats Douglas Dred Scott election Emancipation Proclamation equality federal Foner Frederick Douglass free blacks free labor Free Soil freedom Frémont Fugitive Slave Giddings Harper’s Henry Clay idea Illinois insisted issue James January John July Kentucky later legislature letter liberty Louisiana Lyman Trumbull Maryland ment military Missouri negro newspaper Nonetheless North northern Ohio Orville H Owen Lovejoy owners party’s political president race racial Radicals Reconstruction Republican party secession Senate Session Seward slaveholders slavery society South southern speech Springfield state’s Ten Percent Plan territories tion Union Union army Unionists Virginia vote Washington Whig William wrote York York Tribune