Author: Harold Holzer
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
Abraham Lincoln--the quintessential westerner--surprisingly owed much of his national political success to his impact on New York, and, in turn, New York's impact on him. Virtually unknown outside his home state when he made his maiden speech in Manhattan in February 1860, Lincoln took New York by storm. This book, based on an exhibition at the New-York Historical Society of original artifacts, iconic images and hand-written period documents, traces the evolution of Lincoln's relationship with the nation's largest and wealthiest city. It goes from his 1860 debut to the early challenges of recruitment and investment in the Civil War, the development of new military technologies and the challenge to civil liberties in time of rebellion. New York's role as the Union's prime provider of manpower, money, media coverage, image-making and protest is explored alongside Lincoln's accompanying growth as a leader, writer, symbol of union and freedom, and, in the final instance, national martyr.