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The Long Pursuit: Abraham Lincoln’s Thirty-Year Struggle with Stephen Douglas for the Heart and Soul of America
In this compelling narrative, renowned historian Roy Morris, Jr., expertly offers a new angle on two of America's most towering politicians and the intense personal rivalry that transformed both them and the nation they sought to lead in the dark days leading up to the Civil War. For the better part of two decades, Stephen Douglas was the most famous and controversial politician in the United States, a veritable "steam engine in britches." Abraham Lincoln was merely Douglas's most persistent rival within their adopted home state of Illinois, known mainly for his droll sense of humor, bad jokes, and slightly nutty wife. But from the time they first set foot in the Prairie State in the early 1830s, Lincoln and Douglas were fated to be political competitors. The Long Pursuit tells the dramatic story of how these two radically different individuals rose to the top rung of American politics, and how their personal rivalry shaped and altered the future of the nation during its most convulsive era. Indeed, had it not been for Douglas, who served as Lincoln's personal goad, pace horse, and measuring stick, there would have been no Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, no Lincoln presidency in 1860, and perhaps no Civil War six months later. For both men—and for the nation itself—the stakes were that high. Not merely a detailed political study, The Long Pursuit is also a compelling look at the personal side of politics on the rough-and-tumble western frontier. It shows us a more human Lincoln, a bare-knuckles politician who was not above trading on his wildly inaccurate image as a humble "rail-splitter," when he was, in fact, one of the nation's most successful railroad attorneys. And as the first extensive biographical study of Stephen Douglas in more than three decades, the book presents a long-overdue reassessment of one of the nineteenth century's more compelling and ultimately tragic figures, the one-time "Little Giant" of American politics.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 24, 2016
This is a decent dual biography, short on analysis or penetrating insights, but quite fair. We get to see two American political titans battle each other, and we see the best and worst in each. The Lincoln of this book is coarse, ambitious, morose, and even at times spineless and clueless. He is also generous, persistent, intelligent, flexible, and eloquent. In other words, a man still growing and developing. Probably his greatest trait is his personal moderation. I see this as the key to what makes an ambitious man great (such as Washington) instead of vile (such as Jackson).
Morris refreshingly quotes the many people who found Lincoln wanting. Douglas was not one of them; he saw Lincoln for who he was, and considered him a first rate politician. Douglas himself even predicted that Lincoln would at first stumble as president, but once he found his footing would be a great success.
All in all, Douglas' tale is the more compelling, which I admit is a personal bias. He was a master politician, a man of great ambitions and failures, namely that he treated slavery as an economic and political question when it was becoming, in the hearts of most Americans, a moral question. Yet, he saw the danger to the union clearly, tried to stop it, failed, but then gave his full support to Lincoln. In return, Lincoln seems to have considered him for a military command. At any rate, Douglas died after rendering his finest service to America, and therefore redeeming himself. He is the Boromir of American history and remains the tragic man. Lincoln though is the martyr. Morris' book thankfully goes a way to denting the image we have of Saint Abraham. I just wish it was deeper and grander, but maybe I am just greedy.
Morris refreshingly quotes the many people who found Lincoln wanting. Douglas was not one of them; he saw Lincoln for who he was, and considered him a first rate politician. Douglas himself even predicted that Lincoln would at first stumble as president, but once he found his footing would be a great success.
All in all, Douglas' tale is the more compelling, which I admit is a personal bias. He was a master politician, a man of great ambitions and failures, namely that he treated slavery as an economic and political question when it was becoming, in the hearts of most Americans, a moral question. Yet, he saw the danger to the union clearly, tried to stop it, failed, but then gave his full support to Lincoln. In return, Lincoln seems to have considered him for a military command. At any rate, Douglas died after rendering his finest service to America, and therefore redeeming himself. He is the Boromir of American history and remains the tragic man. Lincoln though is the martyr. Morris' book thankfully goes a way to denting the image we have of Saint Abraham. I just wish it was deeper and grander, but maybe I am just greedy.
January 22, 2018
This is a fair joint biography of Lincoln (who is the subject of many biographies) and Douglas (who is the subject of far fewer, but not an inconsiderable number). It does not break new ground or even bring any new material to light, but it does put in one place 1) a very brief biographical sketch of each man with 2) a somewhat extended treatment of the many times that they interacted with each other over their 30 years or so together in the public eye.
I did not really understand until reading this book the extent to which Lincoln and Douglas shadowed each other long before their famous debates in 1858--including competition for the same woman (Mary Todd--Lincoln won) and an earlier series of statewide debates during the election of 1840, in which Lincoln acted as a surrogate for William Henry Harrison and Douglas as a representative of Martin Van Buren. The first few chapters were the most interesting to me because they covered ground not easily available in other books.
Nonetheless, I think that Morris buries the lede. In an effort to emphasize the extent to which Lincoln and Douglas were rivals, he does not tell the story of how, in many ways, they worked together to achieve even larger aims than those represented in debates: such as, for example, the importance of having debates, or the importance of agreeing on some basic principles that allow you to disagree without destroying the system that depends on disagreement. And, in the final chapter of the relationship, the importance of playing by the rules and accepting the results.
Lincoln and Douglas always struck me as an almost perfect example of political enemies who were civic friends--people who disagreed with each other about all of the great political issues of the day, but understood that they were working within a system whose survival and perpetuation was more important than any single victory or defeat. And when that system was threatened as badly as it has ever been threatened, Lincoln and Douglas worked with a singularity of purpose that belied their 30 years of political enmity.
The real story of the Lincoln-Douglas relationship is not, as the title of the book suggests, a "struggle for the heart and soul of America," but a struggle by two people who believed in that heart and soul and understood in the core of their beings that the disagreements that they spent their lives having were a crucial part of what makes that heart and soul work. You can get this story from the book, but you have to look hard, because it is not really the story he is telling.
I did not really understand until reading this book the extent to which Lincoln and Douglas shadowed each other long before their famous debates in 1858--including competition for the same woman (Mary Todd--Lincoln won) and an earlier series of statewide debates during the election of 1840, in which Lincoln acted as a surrogate for William Henry Harrison and Douglas as a representative of Martin Van Buren. The first few chapters were the most interesting to me because they covered ground not easily available in other books.
Nonetheless, I think that Morris buries the lede. In an effort to emphasize the extent to which Lincoln and Douglas were rivals, he does not tell the story of how, in many ways, they worked together to achieve even larger aims than those represented in debates: such as, for example, the importance of having debates, or the importance of agreeing on some basic principles that allow you to disagree without destroying the system that depends on disagreement. And, in the final chapter of the relationship, the importance of playing by the rules and accepting the results.
Lincoln and Douglas always struck me as an almost perfect example of political enemies who were civic friends--people who disagreed with each other about all of the great political issues of the day, but understood that they were working within a system whose survival and perpetuation was more important than any single victory or defeat. And when that system was threatened as badly as it has ever been threatened, Lincoln and Douglas worked with a singularity of purpose that belied their 30 years of political enmity.
The real story of the Lincoln-Douglas relationship is not, as the title of the book suggests, a "struggle for the heart and soul of America," but a struggle by two people who believed in that heart and soul and understood in the core of their beings that the disagreements that they spent their lives having were a crucial part of what makes that heart and soul work. You can get this story from the book, but you have to look hard, because it is not really the story he is telling.
August 31, 2020
This is an essential reading for Lincoln enthusiasts which details his political life and debates up to his presidential inauguration. The narrative is carefully woven, scholarly and clearly presented for layman's reading. It shows that these political themes are still relevant up to today. It narrated that Democrat platforms are often problematic, diverse and mostly unpopular. Democratic conventions are often raucous and at times violent, to quote: "Good God, The Democrat party is about to die" Douglas was a staunch defender of slaveowners and this book showed how their defense of slavery have lost. The media have always made themselves fools even during Lincoln's time and fake news was rampant eg. the account of Lincoln's unceremonious arrival in DC before his inauguration. Interestingly, the book also showed that Democrat Douglas did not engage in partisanship though he was a conver of Unionism, knowing the morally bankrupt conduct of his party, To quote: " I hope to refuse and perpetuate the ascendancy of our party we should never forget that a man cannot be a true Democrat unless he is a loyal patriot. "
I read this book side by side with Newt Gingrich's "Trump and the American Future" to compare and relate history's circumtances to what is happening politically today. This is a must read for everyone interested in politics and nation building during this challenging times.
I read this book side by side with Newt Gingrich's "Trump and the American Future" to compare and relate history's circumtances to what is happening politically today. This is a must read for everyone interested in politics and nation building during this challenging times.
February 12, 2023
While the U. S. presidential election of 1860 that elected Abraham Lincoln President is covered in basic history and the Lincoln-Douglas debates are mentioned, most are unaware of the long history of political rivalry between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The election of 1860 was an anomaly in that Lincoln was not even on the ballot in ten states and while Stephen Douglas finished fourth in electoral votes, he was second in the popular vote.
The title of this book refers to the decades-long political rivalry between Lincoln and Douglas. For nearly all of that time, Douglas was a national political figure while Lincoln was largely a backwoods national unknown. The life history of each man and how he ended up in Illinois is covered. Lincoln was tall and gaunt while Douglas was short and stout. Both men were largely self-made and really weren’t that far apart on the issue of slavery.
This is an excellent history book on what was a political rivalry that was intense, yet at times cordial. It mirrored the battle over slavery, where relatively small differences were magnified. In the end, Lincoln was the ultimate winner of the pursuit, achieving Douglas’ long sought goal of the presidency. In many ways, the outcome of a Lincoln victory in 1860 and a Civil War just seems to have been inevitable.
The title of this book refers to the decades-long political rivalry between Lincoln and Douglas. For nearly all of that time, Douglas was a national political figure while Lincoln was largely a backwoods national unknown. The life history of each man and how he ended up in Illinois is covered. Lincoln was tall and gaunt while Douglas was short and stout. Both men were largely self-made and really weren’t that far apart on the issue of slavery.
This is an excellent history book on what was a political rivalry that was intense, yet at times cordial. It mirrored the battle over slavery, where relatively small differences were magnified. In the end, Lincoln was the ultimate winner of the pursuit, achieving Douglas’ long sought goal of the presidency. In many ways, the outcome of a Lincoln victory in 1860 and a Civil War just seems to have been inevitable.
August 29, 2024
It was appropriate that I was reading this during an election year and also near the period of the party conventions. Campaigning has always been a verbal slugfest. I found the intersection of their lives interesting and really learned a lot more about Douglas and how the fight over slavery was playing out in the years prior to Lincoln's election to the presidency.
I am sure the author could have written much more, but I felt he really gave a good picture of the lives of both men and moved smoothly from one to the other.
I am sure the author could have written much more, but I felt he really gave a good picture of the lives of both men and moved smoothly from one to the other.
April 20, 2020
Describes how the paths of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas cross over a period of 30 years, including the 7 debates they had prior to both of them running for Congress. An interesting book. Reading this helps me to appreciate Stephen Douglas and his contributions a little more.
December 4, 2022
Read in two days, I have heard of the Lincoln Douglas debates all my life, but this is the first I have read about them. I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot about the thirty years leading up to the Civil War.
May 10, 2019
5/10/2019
September 24, 2024
Did not finish, just a lot of narrative anecdotes about Lincoln and Douglas - would have like some analysis about the period etc.
January 31, 2026
Very disappointing as it does not include any of the information about the Douglas and Lincoln speeches in Peoria, IL that set the stage for the debates.
May 1, 2025
Stephen Douglas as a very able speaker and politician on what turned out to be the losing side of history, is mostly remembered for being Abraham Lincoln's foil (or more properly, the other way around). Enough so, that basic history textbooks will go into the Lincoln-Douglas debates, even though they don't have time to mention much else about him.
This book goes all in on this, tracing both careers from their initial arrival in Illinois, to Douglas' death in 1861.
It's a good idea, and you certainly learn a lot, but their careers are not quite as tightly coupled as needed to make it the best format.
So, it's a pair of parallel biographies at the general history level. There's not a bunch of detailed analysis of their lives and speeches, but all the basics are there. Morris seems fairly evenhanded in his treatment, though he shows Lincoln coming off far worse in the main Lincoln-Douglas debates than you generally hear in less detailed books. Certainly, Lincoln is shown with many of his problems here, though I think some more attention to the change in tone of Lincoln's politics going into the 1850s would have been very useful.
Of course, part of the lack of digging into detail is that everything leading up to the Kansas-Nebraska Act is about a third of the book, while the remaining two thirds concentrates on the fallout over the next six years. This keeps it from being the extensive background book you might expect, and undermines the "thirty year struggle" idea given in the subtitle.
This book goes all in on this, tracing both careers from their initial arrival in Illinois, to Douglas' death in 1861.
It's a good idea, and you certainly learn a lot, but their careers are not quite as tightly coupled as needed to make it the best format.
So, it's a pair of parallel biographies at the general history level. There's not a bunch of detailed analysis of their lives and speeches, but all the basics are there. Morris seems fairly evenhanded in his treatment, though he shows Lincoln coming off far worse in the main Lincoln-Douglas debates than you generally hear in less detailed books. Certainly, Lincoln is shown with many of his problems here, though I think some more attention to the change in tone of Lincoln's politics going into the 1850s would have been very useful.
Of course, part of the lack of digging into detail is that everything leading up to the Kansas-Nebraska Act is about a third of the book, while the remaining two thirds concentrates on the fallout over the next six years. This keeps it from being the extensive background book you might expect, and undermines the "thirty year struggle" idea given in the subtitle.
May 4, 2014
This was a phenomenal addition to the many books I've read on Lincoln. It focused on a specific relationship that he had with another politician, Stephen Douglas. We all read about these two having debates before Lincoln ever left Illinois in school. But most of the time, there is not a huge amount of information about Douglas. Like many men who tried to run for President and lost, he is not as well-known as Lincoln and many of Lincoln's cabinet. Douglas was actually more known to the entire U.S. than Lincoln was. He was a Senator, which Lincoln never was, and he was known for trying to make an effort in Washington to calm the South down, to even placate them with certain laws he had passed. He tried hard to be a peacemaker, and that meant he tried to straddle fences, in a time period when it was not a good idea to sit on the fence...you would get knocked off.
Lincoln and Douglas had respect for one another as political rivals. I really enjoyed the research that Morris did for this book. It is very concise, and stays on subject. He focused on these two great men who were from different classes, different political parties, but who had very strong opinions about the nation and where it was going. I think this book is a very important addition to the bibliography on Lincoln, because these two men knew each other, and they impacted how the other acted and thought. I wondered when I finished reading this book, if Douglas had lived, would Lincoln have found a place for him in his cabinet or work with him in Congress. I think he would have...
Lincoln and Douglas had respect for one another as political rivals. I really enjoyed the research that Morris did for this book. It is very concise, and stays on subject. He focused on these two great men who were from different classes, different political parties, but who had very strong opinions about the nation and where it was going. I think this book is a very important addition to the bibliography on Lincoln, because these two men knew each other, and they impacted how the other acted and thought. I wondered when I finished reading this book, if Douglas had lived, would Lincoln have found a place for him in his cabinet or work with him in Congress. I think he would have...
December 17, 2016
As the author mentions, there is no American who has been written about more than Abraham Lincoln. However, he sets this book apart with a focus on the respectful, but adversarial, relationship between Lincoln and Douglas.
I learned a a lot about this part of Lincoln's life, as I really only previously had a brief gloss between childhood and the presidency. In many ways, it seems that Lincoln would never have been who he was without his strivings with Douglas. From state legislature races, to indirect contests for judges, to the Senate race Lincolns loses, to the Presidency he wins, Lincoln is marked by Douglas's presence in far more than the direct debates. The smaller man motivates the larger to greatness.
A fluid writing style and solid sense of what details to include (and what to leave out) made this a pleasant read. Also, several historical facts that may surprise readers lie within, such as the disgust of the press's by Douglas apparently campaigning for himself for President!
One thing is certain...if we think our country and its politics are the worst they have ever been, we are blind to this period in history.
I learned a a lot about this part of Lincoln's life, as I really only previously had a brief gloss between childhood and the presidency. In many ways, it seems that Lincoln would never have been who he was without his strivings with Douglas. From state legislature races, to indirect contests for judges, to the Senate race Lincolns loses, to the Presidency he wins, Lincoln is marked by Douglas's presence in far more than the direct debates. The smaller man motivates the larger to greatness.
A fluid writing style and solid sense of what details to include (and what to leave out) made this a pleasant read. Also, several historical facts that may surprise readers lie within, such as the disgust of the press's by Douglas apparently campaigning for himself for President!
One thing is certain...if we think our country and its politics are the worst they have ever been, we are blind to this period in history.
May 22, 2016
I greatly enjoyed this one. We have all heard of the famous debates, but (for me) I did not know the many details from the Douglas side. This started around the 1845 time frame up to soon after the election with the death of Senator Douglas. If the politics of the current elections are rough, this book opens eyes to the politics of the elections back then. Dueling, fistfights and classic insults. As for the winners and losers, Douglas won each step of the way until the 1860 when he was not pro-slavery enough for the South. What I did not know was the 1860 Democrats were avidly trying to roll back the slavery ownership right to Colonial era laws. Douglas went against this and lost the support of the South, which went to Vice President Breckenridge. Much of the Lincoln side has been well told in many other books, but combined make this a good read. With 4 parties in the 1860 election, who is to say what would have happened if there was not a split. Lincoln won with less than 40%, so would the Vice President won? Terrible to think what that would have looked like.
May 10, 2013
I am always fascinated by books that give me new insights into Abraham Lincoln, and I was not disappointed in finding that in The Long Pursuit. It was a fairly dry read, although it had humorous asides interjected throughout by the author. The book gives a lot of the history of the rivalry between Lincoln and Douglas that I was unaware of. I had a personal interest that arose when I was a child and was in Quincy, Illinois at the sight of one of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. I have been back to the scene several times since then and find that thrilling.
One thing that I believe many readers will be shocked by as they read this book is how really corrupt politics has really always been. I believe that people generally would find that much of the political garbage that distresses them today was no better 150 years ago!
One thing that I believe many readers will be shocked by as they read this book is how really corrupt politics has really always been. I believe that people generally would find that much of the political garbage that distresses them today was no better 150 years ago!
October 14, 2016
I was very intrigued by the concept of this book in following the lives of these two great statesman. While there is no shortage of information about Lincoln, finding more about the life of Douglas is more difficult. Sadly, this book doesn't provide many new insights into either man's life if you are a student of the civil war. Most of this information can be found in a variety of other books (James McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" and Douglas Edgerton's "Year of Meteors" in particular are excellent resources).
That being said, considering it's brevity, it's an enjoyable read and certainly led me to wonder what world we would be living in today if those 20,000 some odd voted had flipped in New York in and Douglas instead of Lincoln had become President.
That being said, considering it's brevity, it's an enjoyable read and certainly led me to wonder what world we would be living in today if those 20,000 some odd voted had flipped in New York in and Douglas instead of Lincoln had become President.
December 24, 2015
Much of Lincoln's pre-presidential career was consumed by his somewhat one-sided rivalry with Stephen Douglas, so it is very useful and valuable to examine their careers in tandem. This book was a good overview, but it didn't go into a ton of depth. There was also some stuff written that seemed factually incorrect, like that there had been no free states added after the Revolutionary War except Iowa, and that Lincoln lost two Senate elections in 3 years.
I think if you're a Lincoln guy, you're better off going with a straight Douglas biography. I'll have to read the Johannson biography at some point.
I think if you're a Lincoln guy, you're better off going with a straight Douglas biography. I'll have to read the Johannson biography at some point.
February 18, 2015
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I expected this to mainly focus on the Lincoln-Douglas debates, but that was only one chapter in what was a study of the life-long political rivalry these two men had. Lincoln is a personal favorite, but I developed a much great appreciation for Douglas and his tireless efforts as a Senator. I do not agree with his ideas in all cases, but he seems to be one of those rare characters who, while incredibly ambitious, genuinely wanted what was best for his country. This book made me want to read more about Douglas.
January 4, 2014
This book was really good. It was not as dry as it may seem, and I originally checked it out just for the 7 debates (timeline, locations, etc.) because I'm teaching the subject right now. I found myself intrigued by the rest of the book where they talked about MO compromise, John Brown's raid, leCompton constitution, Mary Todd Lincoln and more. The author had new background and info I had not heard before on a lot of topics. Well written!
August 21, 2014
Excellent Story
Excellent Story
This book is not only a fascinating story but also has many nuggets of historical facts. There are many biographies of Lincoln, but this is an entrancing juxtaposition of both Lincoln and Douglas along with their battles and final merging.
Excellent Story
This book is not only a fascinating story but also has many nuggets of historical facts. There are many biographies of Lincoln, but this is an entrancing juxtaposition of both Lincoln and Douglas along with their battles and final merging.
August 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I knew vaguely about the debates from history classes in high school, but knew little to nothing about Stephen Douglas other than that. The book rounds out his character well and has peaked my interest enough that a biography is now on my reading list.
August 2, 2009
Wow I'm glad Lincoln prevailed. Douglas was a great political leader but what a different America we would have today had his ideas and personallity won out.
October 23, 2013
A brief (218 pages) narrative which competently, if unremarkably, covers the 25 year political competition between Lincoln and Douglas.
January 2, 2017
Interesting
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