when does eric foner talk about lincoln being a lawyer in the fiery trial

Why read Lincoln and slavery by John Foner?

Foner tackles what would seem to be an obvious topic, Lincoln and slavery, and manages to cast new light on it.... Because of his broad-ranging knowledge of the 19th century, Foner is able to provide the most thorough and judicious account of Lincoln's attitudes toward slavery that we have.--David S. Reynolds

What is your review of Abraham Lincoln by Thomas Foner?

Mr. Foner separates the man from the myths and shows much to admire about President Lincoln. It is a highly entertaining, balanced, and topnotch historical work.

Who is Eric Foner?

A master historian, Eric Foner draws Lincoln and the broader history of the period into perfect balance. We see Lincoln, a pragmatic politician grounded in principle, deftly navigating the dynamic politics of antislavery, secession, and civil war.

What is the Fiery Trial by Abraham Lincoln about?

The Fiery Trial begins with Lincoln's encounters with slavery in his early life, growing up in Kentucky and Indiana. He occasionally dealt with issues of slavery in his law practice in Illinois.

What is the book The Fiery Trial about?

The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner is a book about Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. Abraham Lincoln was perhaps one of the most influential American politicians of all time and served as the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln was born in Kentucky, where he was certainly surrounded by slavery being that one in every five people there was a slave. There was also slavery in Lincoln’s family, many of his relatives owned slaves. Such as his Uncle Isaac who owned forty three slaves at the time of his death. Slaves also regularly passed by the Lincoln farm. The main thesis of the book is that Abraham Lincoln believed slavery was immoral and unfair. The author gives many examples throughout the book to support this thesis. The book gives great insight into how Abraham Lincoln viewed Slavery and his impacts on it. The author shows us readers that Abraham Lincoln was morally anti-slavery and didn’t agree with it at all. Foner, also analyzes Lincoln’s thoughts and views toward slavery from his childhood to when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation and further. The book takes a real close look at Lincoln’s career, and his personal views as a politician and a person. The historiography of the topic is Eric Foner identifying influential people in Lincoln’s life. The author also takes into consideration Lincoln’s environment …show more content…

What did James Oakes write about Lincoln?

When writing about Lincoln Oakes referred to the fact the Lincoln did not believe in separating the issues of Racism and Slavery (3) . When we look through our history books we can see how some of the “blackspots” on our historical heroes have been hidden. For Lincoln is was the fact that he did not believe in the separation of racism and slavery.…

What was Stowe's opinion on slavery?

This is how Stowe used her platform to discuss her opinion on slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin became such a well read book that when Stowe met President Lincoln, he said “So this is the little lady who started this big war.” So back to the book, Tom started at a plantation in Kentucky. This plantation was said to be “one of the better” plantations. What was interesting about Tom’s owner ,Arthur Shelby, is the fact that he had a bad feeling for the slaves being split from their families. This was a rare occasion back then because the owners feared families would escape together more than “single” slaves.…

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What does Foner focus on in his book?

Instead, he keeps sharply focused on Lincoln’s political background. This is a wise move since Lincoln was a politician to the core.

Why is Foner important?

Because of his broad-ranging knowledge of the 19th century, Foner is able to provide the most thorough and judicious account of Lincoln’s attitudes toward slavery that we have to date. Historians have long been puzzled by apparent inconsistencies. One the one hand, Lincoln was the Great Emancipator.

What did Abraham Lincoln believe about slavery?

Faced with this welter of attitudes, Foner shows, Lincoln steered a middle course. He believed slavery violated America’s basic principles — a view he expressed forcefully and frequently. Still, he was reluctant to take dramatic action against it, unlike some of the radicals within the Whig Party.

What was Lincoln's position in the Republican Party?

When the Republican Party formed in the 1850s, Foner explains, it was Lincoln’s middling position that made him the North’s most attractive presidential candidate in 1860 and helped him keep his wits about him during the tumultuous war years.

What party was Lincoln's wife in?

Then came Lincoln’s political service in the Whig Party, which contained a range of factions, from fire-eating Southern planters to antislavery New Englanders. Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, belonged to a family of slaveholders.

Where did Abraham Lincoln live?

Born in 1809 in the slave state of Kentucky, Lincoln was taken at 7 to live in southwestern Indiana, a region, Foner informs us, that was moderate in its views of slavery but pervaded by racism.

Who said "they themselves are the times, and possess a correspondent coloring."?

The great figures of history, as Melville wrote, “are parts of the times; they themselves are the times, and possess a correspondent coloring.”. Lincoln was no exception.

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