W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1997 "I Claim Not to have Controlled Events": Abraham Lincoln and the Manipulation of Public Opinion in the Secession Crisis Deborah Rae Huso College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Huso, Deborah Rae, ""I Claim Not to have Controlled Events": Abraham Lincoln and the Manipulation of Public Opinion in the Secession Crisis" (1997). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626087. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-1j9j-2x78 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. "I CLAIM NOT TO HAVE CONTROLLED EVENTS": ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE MANIPULATION OF PUBLIC OPINION IN THE SECESSION CRISIS A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of American Studies The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Deborah R. Huso 1997 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Deborah R. Huso Approved, July 1997 Scott Nelson Hi story Carol Sheriff Hi story Cip£l/ Hahamovitch History ABSTRACT Just prior to and following Abraham Lincoln's election to the Presidency on November 6/ 1860, the United States was on the verge of dividing into two separate nations.