Abraham Lincoln Summary

The book Abraham Lincoln, written by James M. McPherson, constitutes not only Abraham Lincoln’s life, but also his remarkable presidency. Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. He also was considered a peacemaker because his passion was to follow God’s law and create every man to be equal. During Lincoln’s first term of presidency in 1860-1864, he followed his passion by abolishing slavery, otherwise known as the Thirteenth Amendment. Following his first term, his second term’s goal is now known as the Fifteenth Amendment. To say the least, McPherson argues the brilliancy of Abraham Lincoln’s ideas and the colossal contribution Lincoln had regarding the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 by Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Lincoln’s childhood was preserved, and his education was gained through many different schoolhouses since his father was on the move so much. Abe Lincoln’s love for reading made his father’s relationship with Abe more distant. Since Lincoln did not have love for the plantations or farming, his father grew bitter towards his son’s future. Abe Lincoln’s coming of age required him to realize he was getting old. He decided to marry Mary Todd in 1842. A few years after his father died in 1851, Lincoln volunteered for the militia. This increased his interest in government and the Union. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican with Whig ideology. Lincoln succeeded in his campaign for congressmen and after that, he decided to run for president. Although his campaigns for presidency failed several times, Abraham Lincoln never gave up because he knew it was what he wanted to do. His last candidacy with Senator Douglass was a hard campaign, but Lincoln’s lead in free state votes guaranteed his election as a Republican president. This was only the beginning of a long crucial time for the North and South. The decreasing supplies at Fort Sumter lead to the start of the American Civil War. The