Jepson Alumni Center
The canonization of Abraham Lincoln as the Great
Emancipator and the Savior of the Union began as soon as he was shot on Good Friday 1865. In
celebrating Lincoln the kind and sagacious leader,
eulogists drove from view the guileful politician and
the man of human foibles. An 1865 newspaper described
what was at work in this way: “It has made it impossible
to speak the truth of Abraham Lincoln hereafter.”
Time has passed, and the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth
approaches. Scholars are more confident about reaching a
disinterested judgment on key features of Lincoln’s
presidential leadership: his vision, strategic command,
political management, and techniques as a communicator.
Oxford University historian Richard Carwardine relates
Lincoln’s compelling personal and public story in
Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power.
The book traces Lincoln’s rise to power and his years in
the White House, paying close attention to the evolution
of his political agenda, moral principles, religious
beliefs, and changing views on slavery. In presenting
his more objective view of Lincoln, Carwardine suggests
that Lincoln’s “wonderful self-reliance” was key to his
executive achievements. Carwardine shares a broad view
of Lincoln the man, the politician, and the moral
leader.
Tickets available beginning August 29, 2008.
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