Lincoln_on_Kentucky

Theodore Luckett History and Research Writing TuTh 9:25 Lowell Harrison, Kentucky historian, author and Professor of History at Western Kentucky College, in Lincoln of Kentucky, has written a well in depth study of Abraham Lincoln for those who desire to know more about his life and in particular ties to Kentucky, how they effected his life and the Civil War. Harrison’s Lincoln of Kentucky is not meant to be received by his audience as a biography or study of history of the Civil war in Kentucky. It is meant for those who wish to learn about his “interrelationship with Kentucky, thorough his life, with emphasis on the Civil War years.#” The reoccurring theme throughout the book is one of Lincolns ingenious in dealing with a slave state split between the Union and Confederacy. Although Lincoln of Kentucky is not meant to be a biography of Lincoln it has the feel of a biography meant for a high school or college age audience lacking in specific citations for the material use, rather a generalization of citations. Harrisons uses the usual chronological order of a biography in writing Lincoln of Kentucky by grouping his life into categories, jumping around from different points in his life at times. The first chapter covers Lincoln in the minds of Kentuckians after his assignation by John Wilkes Booth. The opening is captivating it retelling the story of that fateful night in a almost novelistic way, capturing the audience and setting the stage of the rest of book covering the most revered president to ever hold office. It is in this first chapter a brief Historiography of Lincoln and the way he has been viewed over time by Kentuckians and the way he was viewed before and after the war. The next few chapters are dedicated to The Lincolns stay in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, following the Lincolns along there journey to Illinois and young Abraham Lincolns adolescents and development. The author provides adequate information in regards to how the Lincolns came to dwell in Kentucky and how Abraham Lincolns parents had come to meet. It is during theses years his connection to Kentucky is established, not only was he born there but he would have his first memories. In these chapters Lincolns relationship with his family is the main focus and his father in particular. These chapters work up to the point to were Lincoln is on his own and gaining interest in politics and law. Leading up to his first encounter with running for state legislator in Illinois, his first and last defeat by direct vote of the people (40). Lincoln during this time is developing friendships with many Kentuckians in the Northern states such as his law partner and good friend for the rest of his life Herndon, and find himself gaining in political power, winning a seat to the Illinois house of Representatives and eventually Congress. It is in the next chapters Harrison transitions from Lincolns childhood and coming of age to his political career and the topic of slavery that would lead to the Civil War, the issue and the war that would define Lincoln. Lincoln due to his seat in Congress and relationships with Kentuckians, such as the three women he courted from Kentucky and there families, had made many influential connections. The issue of slavery at this time was of heated debate within the nation and houses. Lincoln was born in a slave state, and married to the daughter of a slave-owner, his political idol Henry Clay was a slave owner but still Lincoln saw the evils of slavery and believed it to be on its way to extinction (4). This issue Lincoln would grow stronger against saying in his debates later with Douglas, “No man has the right to govern another man…” (88). Lincoln had participated in the Fugitive slave act, Missouri Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and witnessed the minor war in Kansas and John Brown’s Raid. Lincoln had to take a stance and it was for the Union’s success and against slavery. Harrison moves into Lincolns presidency and the succession movement, never forgetting the voice of Kentuckians by quoting primary sources in favor and against Lincoln. Kentucky was torn at this time, and Lincoln with it, Lincoln knew he had to keep Kentucky in Union grasp and could not lose her, “I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the whole game” (135). Lincoln knew Kentuckians, how they thought, lived, and he played them skillfully and cautiously allowing the Unionist to gain control in Kentucky, and by allowing Kentucky to keep its neutrality the state would eventually swing in his favor. (135) Kentucky was ninth in population, seventh in value of farms, fifth in value of livestock, would have ranked high in industry amongst Confederate states and provide a line of transportation on the Ohio that could have caused a rift between the Union separating there lines to the Great Lakes. Lincoln knew this and reputing said he liked to have “God on his side but he must have Kentucky” (135). Lincoln would eventually hold Kentucky and the state would play importance to many battles and events that Harrison does not do enough justice to. Lincoln would pay a vast amount to Kentucky during the war and had developed a love hate relationship with the state. This relationship gave Lincoln trouble as his home state was difficult in adopting emancipation, hesitant in joining the Union, did not give her full support of use in black troops or freeing slaves and Lincoln did not carry his home state in either election. But he was a Kentuckian, his family and closest of friends were Kentuckians. He knew Kentuckians and always kept a close full eye on the state and its citizens and realized the fate of the war was owed in sum to the Bluegrass state. (245) Harrison ends Lincoln of Kentucky with those thoughts on his relationship with Lincoln and closes with Lincoln coming down the streets of a conquered Richmond to the cheers of the free slaves. Lincoln did not see the end of war or slavery but as the author states “the end was in sight” (247). The author provides historiography throughout the book about Lincoln quoting several sources with the most well know being Woodrow Wilson who said, “Abraham Lincoln came from the most unpromising stock on the continent, the poor white trash of the south.” Harrison differs from this view and of other view of Lincolns upbringing and family and refutes by portraying Lincolns mother and stepmother as two of the most influential women in his life. He also portrays a man in Thomas Lincoln, his father, who encouraged his education and provided Abraham with a home and food to eat. (20-21) The books concern is Kentucky and Lincoln and the who first chapter is dedicated to the historiography of Lincoln in Kentucky. Kentucky had differed form Lincoln all throughout the war and before, but when Lincolns short-lived life had come to a end, the commonwealth realized his greatness. Over time Kentucky would “accept Lincoln as a native son whom they could take great pride”(15). Harrisons intention was to write a book about the interrelation relationship between Lincoln and Kentucky. This was accomplished and it is clear in his writing Kentucky was of the utmost importance to Lincoln. However, in the beginning Harrison mentions his intention is not to write biography. The feel to much of first half of th ebook reads like a biography with that being his first Throughout the book Harrison covers the time period during Lincolns life and the events that led the man to the war. Never forgetting the crisis in Kentucky and how Lincoln was intertwined. The sentence structure for the most of the book is correct with few uses of drawn out sentences with overuse of propositional phrases. There where also few misprints found in the writing and several spelling and grammatical mistakes. At time Harrison loses the reader and bounces from topics. But overall his book reads clearly and smoothly and benefits from the use of a vast amount of primary sources, known to scholars and Kentuckians. Speeches, letters, journals and newspapers from Lincoln and those surrounding him especially in Kentucky, bring Lincoln to life with the words of the past integrated with Harrison almost novelistic writing style. Harrison does well in presenting his thesis, Kentucky played a large role in developing Lincoln and his interrelationship with Kentucky influenced his dealings with the state that was the swing stat for the rest of the border states. Without his knowledge of Kentuckians, through his early childhood, best friends, love interests and their families Lincoln would not have come to know the commonwealth of Kentucky’s citizens so well. In his steadfast and patient dealings with Kentucky he was able to keep her in the Union and as he saw it win the war. Kentucky was of key importance to Lincoln. Even though Kentucky was tied to South through slavery, it held a deep bond of unionism directed by its politician, Henry Clay, Lincolns idol. The Washington Monument reads this in regards to Kentucky, “Under the auspices of Heaven, and the precepts of Washington, Kentucky will be the last to give up the Union.” During the Civil War Kentucky was a state that pitted brother against brother, father against son, a state in turmoil torn between the Union it swore to uphold and the Conferacy it was bound to, Lincoln knew this and he felt her pain, that is why he dealt with Kentucky so well, and in the end he needed Kentucky and Kentucky needed Abraham Lincoln.