Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 3)
'Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 3)' Summary
Early in his presidency, Hay and Nicolay requested and received permission from Lincoln to write his biography. In the first years after Lincoln's death, Hay and Nicolay were not encouraged to publish such a work—Representative Isaac Newton Arnold, a Lincoln supporter, had quickly published a substantial Lincoln biography, and publishers were not eager for another. Further, the permission of Robert Lincoln, who controlled his father's papers, would have to be gained. Lincoln's former secretaries decided to wait until they had sufficient time and money.
The often-dormant proposal to write the biography was given new impetus as they came to believe Lincoln's historical image was being distorted. Ward Hill Lamon in 1872 published a biography of Lincoln based on research by William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner. Lamon's book first made widely known many of the early accounts of Lincoln's life, such as those regarding Ann Rutledge, whom Lamon related Lincoln had loved and whose death devastated him. Without access to his papers, these early biographers focused on these episodes told of the young Lincoln, that fascinated the public. The Lincoln family believed some of these distorted or untrue, and in any event disrespectful. Also becoming popular were interpretations of the war that minimized Southern blame, with the bravery of the soldiers stressed in the name of sectional reconciliation. Popular fiction, such as that by Joel Chandler Harris, pressed a nostalgic view of the Old South.
By 1872, Hay was "convinced that we ought to be at work on our 'Lincoln.' I don't think the time for publication has come, but the time for preparation is slipping away." Robert Lincoln, Lincoln's surviving child, in 1874 formally agreed to let Hay and Nicolay use his father's papers; by 1875, they were engaged in research. Hay and Nicolay enjoyed exclusive access to Lincoln's papers, which were not opened to other researchers until 1947. They gathered documents written by others, as well as many of the Civil War books already being published. They at rare times relied on memory, such as Nicolay's recollection of the moment at the 1860 Republican convention when Lincoln was nominated, but for much of the rest relied on research. The research was so extensive that in their published work, Hay and Nicolay sometimes wrote that no records exist on certain points—statements that later proved to be premature.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1890Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
John George Nicolay
Germany, United States
John George Nicolay was a German-born American who served as private secretary to US President Abraham Lincoln and later co-authored a biography of the 16th President. He was a member of the German br...
More on John George NicolayJohn Hay
United States
sman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln, Hay's highest office was Unite...
More on John HayDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
In Texas with Davy Crockett by John Thomas McIntyre
It tells the story of a young boy named Johnny and his adventures with the famous American frontiersman and politician, Davy Crockett. Set in the ear...
The Chronicles of America Volume 09 - Colonial Folkways by Charles Morris
In "Colonial Folkways," the ninth volume of "The Chronicles of America" series by the eminent historian Charles Morris, readers embark on an immersive...
Following the Color Line by Ray Stannard Baker
We are presented both rural and urban points of view, struggles for survival, varying district relationships, the effect of lynching, power struggles,...
Great Men and Famous Women, Vol. 1 by Charles Francis Horne
Great Men and Famous Women is an 8-volume work by various authors containing “A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the...
Historical Tales, Vol II: American II by Charles Morris
Volume II of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This second volume supplements the f...
The Life and Adventures of Nat Love by Nat Love
A man born into bondage who became a top cowboy in the wild west. Recommended for anyone interested in cowboy history, American history, black America...
The Jefferson Bible - The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, created his own Bible by extracting the moral teachings of Jesus from the four canonical g...
A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln by John George Nicolay
John G. Nicolay was Abraham Lincoln’s private White House secretary. With assistant secretary, John Hay, he wrote the two volume definitive biography...
The Underground Railroad, Part 2 by William Still
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was...
Anti-slavery in America from the Introduction of African Slaves to the Prohibition of the Slave Trade (1619-1808) by Mary S. Locke
In the gripping narrative, a haunting truth unfolds—a truth that transcends time and demands reckoning. Step into the shadows of America's darkest hi...
Reviews for Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 3)
No reviews posted or approved, yet...