Lincoln is the greatest interpreter of America's founding principles, and it was through the Civil War and subsequent constitutional amendments that the Constitution was brought into conformity with those principles.
This indispensable work explains the issues central to the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the clash between popular sovereignty and natural rights that was at the center of the debate over slavery. Includes insightful analyses of Lincoln's "House Divided" speech and the Gettysburg Address.
Kirkus Reviews calls this sequel to Crisis of the House Divided "A magisterial work that arrives after a lifetime of scholarship and reflection — and earns our gratitude as well as our respect."
For splendor and profundity, no commentator on the nation's founding compares with Abraham Lincoln. See especially his Perpetuation Address (January 27, 1838), Cooper Union Address (February 27, 1860), First Inaugural (March 4, 1861), Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863), and Second Inaugural (March 4, 1865). These volumes follow Lincoln from his speeches as a persuasive anti-slavery advocate to his explanation and defense of America's natural rights principles.
First published in 1917, this classic biography of Lincoln has recently been released in a new edition, with an informative new introduction.
Calhoun was an apologist for slavery, rejected the Declaration's affirmation that all men are created equal, and asserted "states rights". Yet he is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the present-day rejection of the Declaration, the Founders, and Lincoln. Of special interest are Calhoun's Fort Hill Address and his two treatises on government — "A Disquisition on Government" and the "Discourse on the Constitution and Government of the United States."
Douglass was the most influential black American of his day. This collection recounts Douglass' struggle under the institutions of slavery and his later efforts to destroy them. All the while, he exhibits an abiding faith in America's principles. Includes Douglass' insights into the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist, and the Constitution.
Tracing the development and impact of the Emancipation Proclamation, this detailed history illuminates Lincoln's political and moral reasoning and confirms his sincere desire to stamp out slavery.
