Summer Reading Book Review: The Radical And The Republican
Mike ******
AP US History
19 August 2011
Summer Reading Book Review: THE RADICAL AND THE REPUBLICAN The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics is a non-fiction novel that was authored in 2007 by James Oakes who possibly was a historian. The novel goes back in time and clearly and accurately involves the most significant dates and events. James Oakes writes this book while narrating in a chronological style. He surprisingly takes into account the personal and political lives of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln making the novel more of a biography about two important historical figures. Oakes believes that if it were not for both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, slavery would have been abolished decades of years later: possibly never. He also strongly …show more content…
supported the fact that Lincoln tried and was successful in saving the Union by defeating the Confederate Army of the South.
Personally, these main ideas or thesis, by Oakes is true based on the actual historical facts.
The narration by James Oakes starts in the mid 1850’s in the American North (The Union) but specifically in the Illinois state. Here Abraham Lincoln was running for the Illinois Senate against a rival ironically named Stephen Douglas. He gets elected into the senate and in the early 1860’s Lincoln is inaugurated as the President. At the time, Frederick Douglas, a former slave living in the North, was a slave- abolitionist and close to a radical although he hated politics. So in the 1860’s, President Lincoln (under the Republican Party) began pushing towards the emancipation of slavery in the south. He argued that slaves were human too, that God did not justify it, and the Founding Fathers did not approve of it when they wrote the Constitution. Despite of the opposition down south, the north
was really supportive of Lincoln’s objectives. However, Lincoln’s real intentions were not to eliminate racial discrimination in the north, but to abolish slavery (a dilemma he personally loathed). Later on, he enlisted African Americans into the army against the Confederates, and their success further improved the slavery issue. Douglass, on the other hand, was criticizing Lincoln and not working with him. Douglas was a man who was quick to decisions, very sensitive, and talked a lot. Lincoln acted and made decisions according to necessity and therefore his slowness deeply agitated Douglass. However, both individuals were great public speakers with outstanding oratory skills. The Democrats were not proving worthy to Lincoln and after sometime, the South’s army was defeated. Slowly, the South abolished slavery and was followed by the “Border-states”. This is when Douglas finally met and befriended Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation Act of 1863 (drafted by Lincoln) helped abolish slavery officially and made the issue of colonization of slaves impossible.
The Emancipation Proclamation Act was distributed to Southern governments where slavery was abolished. Lincoln supported this new act by arguing that the Founding Fathers had shunned slavery although they had not elaborated their views in the US Constitution. The many policies before the abolition of slavery, such as the Dred Scott Law of 1857, had disappeared either through public-outcry or through Lincoln’s policies.
After serving a few more presidential years and having meetings with Douglas, Lincoln was assassinated in 1865(surprisingly by a white man). At his funeral, Douglas delivered the most heartfelt eulogy. He described Lincoln as a man who conversed with him as a gentleman talks to another gentleman. He also stated that Abraham Lincoln was the black man’s president. This is probably the first time that he publicly supported and acknowledged Abraham Lincoln’s policies. Douglass, therefore, had been inspired by Abraham Lincoln after a while. He now viewed politics as another way to approach national issues although his beliefs were deeply rooted as a radical. He quickly became rich and famous and on constant demand by colleges and universities in search for his powerful motivational speeches. Soon after Lincoln’s sad death, Ulysses Grant was inaugurated as president and Douglas was awarded with a political title. Frederick Douglass then died in 1895. Thirty years after Lincoln’s assassination.
Both Lincoln and Douglass were great political figures(although Douglas was a radical) and their names and deeds will forever be written in history. The author emphasizes the roles of both men in bringing up a nation united as one. Douglass was the face of the black people and Lincoln defended the African Americans despite ‘political blows’ from the democrats and later from his own party-members. His stand against slavery also risked his second election but to Lincoln, the Union seemed complete if slavery was not a part of it. Lincoln defeated the Confederate South and united the nation. In my opinion, both gentlemen accomplished enough for the good of the American people. The question is if us Americans, uphold their standards and beliefs and together as a nation improve ourselves.
AP US History
19 August 2011
Summer Reading Book Review: THE RADICAL AND THE REPUBLICAN The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics is a non-fiction novel that was authored in 2007 by James Oakes who possibly was a historian. The novel goes back in time and clearly and accurately involves the most significant dates and events. James Oakes writes this book while narrating in a chronological style. He surprisingly takes into account the personal and political lives of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln making the novel more of a biography about two important historical figures. Oakes believes that if it were not for both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, slavery would have been abolished decades of years later: possibly never. He also strongly …show more content…
supported the fact that Lincoln tried and was successful in saving the Union by defeating the Confederate Army of the South.
Personally, these main ideas or thesis, by Oakes is true based on the actual historical facts.
The narration by James Oakes starts in the mid 1850’s in the American North (The Union) but specifically in the Illinois state. Here Abraham Lincoln was running for the Illinois Senate against a rival ironically named Stephen Douglas. He gets elected into the senate and in the early 1860’s Lincoln is inaugurated as the President. At the time, Frederick Douglas, a former slave living in the North, was a slave- abolitionist and close to a radical although he hated politics. So in the 1860’s, President Lincoln (under the Republican Party) began pushing towards the emancipation of slavery in the south. He argued that slaves were human too, that God did not justify it, and the Founding Fathers did not approve of it when they wrote the Constitution. Despite of the opposition down south, the north
was really supportive of Lincoln’s objectives. However, Lincoln’s real intentions were not to eliminate racial discrimination in the north, but to abolish slavery (a dilemma he personally loathed). Later on, he enlisted African Americans into the army against the Confederates, and their success further improved the slavery issue. Douglass, on the other hand, was criticizing Lincoln and not working with him. Douglas was a man who was quick to decisions, very sensitive, and talked a lot. Lincoln acted and made decisions according to necessity and therefore his slowness deeply agitated Douglass. However, both individuals were great public speakers with outstanding oratory skills. The Democrats were not proving worthy to Lincoln and after sometime, the South’s army was defeated. Slowly, the South abolished slavery and was followed by the “Border-states”. This is when Douglas finally met and befriended Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation Act of 1863 (drafted by Lincoln) helped abolish slavery officially and made the issue of colonization of slaves impossible.
The Emancipation Proclamation Act was distributed to Southern governments where slavery was abolished. Lincoln supported this new act by arguing that the Founding Fathers had shunned slavery although they had not elaborated their views in the US Constitution. The many policies before the abolition of slavery, such as the Dred Scott Law of 1857, had disappeared either through public-outcry or through Lincoln’s policies.
After serving a few more presidential years and having meetings with Douglas, Lincoln was assassinated in 1865(surprisingly by a white man). At his funeral, Douglas delivered the most heartfelt eulogy. He described Lincoln as a man who conversed with him as a gentleman talks to another gentleman. He also stated that Abraham Lincoln was the black man’s president. This is probably the first time that he publicly supported and acknowledged Abraham Lincoln’s policies. Douglass, therefore, had been inspired by Abraham Lincoln after a while. He now viewed politics as another way to approach national issues although his beliefs were deeply rooted as a radical. He quickly became rich and famous and on constant demand by colleges and universities in search for his powerful motivational speeches. Soon after Lincoln’s sad death, Ulysses Grant was inaugurated as president and Douglas was awarded with a political title. Frederick Douglass then died in 1895. Thirty years after Lincoln’s assassination.
Both Lincoln and Douglass were great political figures(although Douglas was a radical) and their names and deeds will forever be written in history. The author emphasizes the roles of both men in bringing up a nation united as one. Douglass was the face of the black people and Lincoln defended the African Americans despite ‘political blows’ from the democrats and later from his own party-members. His stand against slavery also risked his second election but to Lincoln, the Union seemed complete if slavery was not a part of it. Lincoln defeated the Confederate South and united the nation. In my opinion, both gentlemen accomplished enough for the good of the American people. The question is if us Americans, uphold their standards and beliefs and together as a nation improve ourselves.