THE FIERY TRIAL: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND AMERICAN SLAVERY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Eric Foner | 448 pages | 09 Mar 2012 | WW Norton & Co | 9780393340662 | English | New York, United States The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery PDF Book Friend Reviews. His early career as a Whig from Illinois was defined by attempts to unite a state split between Northern abolitionist radicalism and Southern pro-slavery traditionalists. What a strange and lucky coincidence that Abraham Lincoln was elected President when he was. Despite his shortcomings, political bungling, racism, and, at times, obtuseness, Lincoln acted radically and decisively as commander-in-chief during the throes of domestic rebellion and war. This came about as Lincoln actually met and engaged with blacks, from newly admitted Northern troops, to freed slaves, to Northern luminaries such as Frederick Douglass. One colony was even formed in South America, but fell apart due to the corruption of the leaders and the mutinous freed men. McPherson November 25, Other editions. Even seasoned scholars will find facts in this volume that are new to them and fresh insights that they will want to consider. Lincoln even advocated the spread of trade unions. Do we need yet another book on Lincoln, especially in the wake of all the Lincoln volumes that appeared last year in commemoration of the th anniversary of his birth? October 11, Potter completed and edited by Don E. It is worth noting that the book has been written in a scholarly approach, suggesting that it was meant for scholarly work. This book is good, but it's not quite there. While there is a vague forward sense of time, he digresses into thematic discussions that frequently bounce back and forth over several years. More filters. In another case, General David Hunter went as far as to enlist blacks into his ranks in early Yet, by revealing Lincoln's flaws, his metamorphosis, and his willingness and ability to evaluate and change his views and policies, Foner has emphasized Lincoln's greatness in a new way. Lincoln probably never had an extended conversation with a black person before he became President. The greatness of Lincoln becomes apparent in his ability to perform the almost impossible task of steering a moderate course through this treacherous time, doing his best to keep the extremes at the table in an environment where it appeared that almost nobody was happy with his reluctance to support their extreme. October 11, As the political climate shifted more towards attitudes formerly held by abolitionists, Lincoln shifted with it, constantly evaluating his thinking and showing a remarkable willingness to grow and change. Notify me of new posts via email. November 24, To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. The book's title is a quotation from Lincoln's December 1, State of the Union address , in which he said of the Civil War: "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. He tried to shepherd along Northern public opinion and in the opinions of his cabinet members. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I chose the latter. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court declares that blacks have no rights a white man is bound to respect. This is a Pulitzer Prize winning book specifically about Abraham Lincoln and his evolution about slavery and racism. Rehearsal for Freedom. His Lincoln is incredibly similar to Barack Obama in both political path and Weltanschauung. The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery Writer To ask other readers questions about The Fiery Trial , please sign up. Jun 05, Mike Zickar rated it it was amazing Shelves: history. Lee, wondering how they could own slaves, not to mention fight for the right. Mar 08, Ed rated it it was amazing. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. This came about as Lincoln actually met and engaged with blacks, from newly admitted Northern troops, to freed slaves, to Northern luminaries such as Frederick Douglass. The War with Mexico by Justin H. This profound work is an incredible primer on the steps to induce fundamental change through policy. October 20, The proclamation pertained only to confederate states, leaving the border states and other specific exempted areas untouched in an effort to encourage unionist sentiment. If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union; but we shall have so saved it, as to make, and to keep it, forever worthy of the saving. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. Potter completed and edited by Don E. Early on, Lincoln's plans often also included or implied colonization, a controversial aspect today that was widely accepted in his own time. The historical takeaway is how lucky Civil War America was to have Lincoln just when we needed him -- and how unlucky it was that Booth's bullet deprived Reconstruction America of the learning, growing, listening and compassionate leader the country most needed. Both Foner and Marable inevitably lead one to speculate….. Library Journal. This book explains that Lincoln's plans for reconstruction were not finalized by the time of his death, so it is not possible to predict what he would have done had he not been assassinated. Thus, the only discussions on Lincoln's early life center on encounters with slaves and free blacks that might have influenced his attitudes. Here is what Tolstoy said in We are still too near to his greatness,' but after a few centuries more our posterity will find him considerably bigger than we do. Like the consummate politician he was, he was hard to pin down on an issue, appeasing many within the party, but frustrating hardliners. I doubt it. I love Foner and this book did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the first one-hundred pages of the book are slow, tedious and relatively uninteresting. Even people who know a fair amount about slavery and the war may have heard only about the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment, but Foner shows the debate over slavery was constant. New York: W. Sep 21, Ricardo rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fic. The unowned, the masterless black is an anathema nationwide. Fenn Custer's Trials by T. Pulitzer Prize for History. Let us turn and wash it white, in the spirit, if not the blood, of the Revolution. The author focuses on issues that Lincoln mentioned in his speeches. First, Lincoln almost always sought the middle ground between the radicalism of ardent abolitionists and the conservatism of Republican moderates and ex-Democrats. Burrows and Mike Wallace The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery Reviews Blacks, he said, could never "be placed on a equality with the white race" in the United States; whether this "is right or wrong I need not discuss. Archived from the original on May 9, Not at all. Lincoln, probably more than any other President, showed a capacity to listen to others and seek a middle ground among widely varying perspecives -- seeking a methodology toward fairness. October 11, But they didn't believe that freed blacks should have social rights to live among whites, nor should they have the right to vote. Retrieved January 9, Pulitzer Prize for History. Download as PDF Printable version. However, in my opinion, if ever there is a case where one individual influenced the direction of the future, it is Lincoln and the skill with which he responded to events. I think we have reason to thank God for Abraham Lincoln Faced with this welter of attitudes, Foner shows, Lincoln steered a middle course. We know of course that he did the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment. The book delves into all these aspects in remarkable detail, panting a much richer and more complex picture of Lincoln than either the traditionalist or revisionist historical traditions have allowed for. Community Reviews. He remained so devoted to the American Constitution, with its protections of slavery, that he supported albeit with reluctance the Fugitive Slave Act of , which imposed stiff penalties on Northerners who assisted runaway slaves. Foner's strength here is relying almost exclusively on primary or contemporary materials rather than secondhand or after-the-fact recollections. This book's Pulitzer and Bancroft prizes prove that the topic is far from being exhausted. Unfortunately, he was killed before he could really set a policy for progress in Reconstruction. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. The book's title is a quotation from Lincoln's December 1, State of the Union address , in which he said of the Civil War: "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. I read again the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural. How he got there. He says that Lincoln was probably the most skilled politician of all time, and was succeeded by the least skilled i. McPherson November 25, Related Articles. The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery Read Online The Author states that the American people have a reason to thank God for Abraham Lincoln, despite the deficiencies that the president had, because he was willing to grow. The Union generals quickly realized that emancipation of slaves and enlistment as Union soldiers would weaken the Confederacy while increasing the pool of workers and soldiers for its side. It is written with a master historian's balance and objectivity, revealing more about Lincoln than I had realized after reading quite a bit about him. It can be argued that if Sherman's army had not been able to occupy Atlanta before the date of the presidential election that Lincoln would not have been reelected.