Lincoln's Last Speech: Wartime Reconstruction and the Crisis of Reunion

Pivotal Moments in American History

by Louis P. Masur

What did Abraham Lincoln envision when he talked about "reconstruction?" Assassinated in 1865, the president did not have a chance to begin the work of reconciling the North and South, nor to oversee Reconstruction as an official postwar strategy. Yet his final speech, given to thousands gathered in the rain outside the White House on April 11, 1865, gives a clear indication of what Lincoln's postwar policy might have looked like-one that differed starkly from what would emerge in the tumultuous decade that followed.

In Lincoln's Last Speech , renowned historian and author Louis P. Masur offers insight into this critical address and its vision of a reconstructed United States. Coming two days after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox and a week after the fall of Richmond, Lincoln's speech was expected to be a victory oration. Instead, he looked to the future, discussing how best to restore the seceded states to the national government, and even endorsing limited black suffrage. Delving into the language and arguments of Lincoln's last address, Masur traces the theme of reconstruction as it developed throughout his presidency, starting with the very earliest days of the war.

Masur illuminates the evolution of Lincoln's thinking and the national debate around reconstruction, touching on key moments such as the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction on December 8, 1863, and Lincoln's pocket veto of the Wade-Davis bill in July 1864. He also examines social reconstruction, including the plight of freedmen and the debate over the place of blacks in society; and considers the implications of Lincoln's speech after April 1865, when Andrew Johnson assumed office and the ground was laid for the most radical phases of the postwar policy. A nuanced study of Lincoln's views on national reconciliation, this work gives us a better understanding of the failures that occurred with postwar Reconstruction and the eventual path that brought the country to reunion.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, War, Biography, American History, Politics

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 2015

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some reviewers have complained that “Lincoln’s Last Speech” really isn’t about Lincoln’s last speech. And they're right, in that only the first and last chapters focus on it. Everything in between is background and context.

And while background and context is important, I admit I kind of wanted to read more about Lincoln’s last speech.

Postwar policy was the subject of the last public speech that Lincoln delivered, days before his assassination. Some have analyzed that speech for clues as to what Lincoln’s Reconstruction policies might have been, or discussed it in terms of how it represented the last straw for John Wilkes Booth, who attended Lincoln’s speech and determined it was time to “put him through.”

But Masur doesn’t really use the speech as a starting point to look forward. Instead, after beginning the book with the speech, he looks backward, filling in the details of Lincoln’s plans to restore the Union long before the war came to an end.

In that sense, the book might more accurately - if less elegantly - have been called “reconstruction before Reconstruction.” Masur argues that reconstruction was not just a distinct period of time after the war, but an ongoing process that went on throughout the war. Since Lincoln never accepted that the Southern states had actually legitimately seceded, he continually looked for ways to bring them back into the fold, and aimed to reconstruct loyal Southern state governments even as the war went on.

So that’s what most of the book focuses on - Lincoln’s efforts to reconstruct the country, which didn’t begin with his last speech, but culminated in it.

What results is a book that’s rather drier and more academic than its catchy title and short length might suggest. Masur lays out in detail Lincoln’s reconstruction efforts, as well as Congressional efforts to wrest control of the process from Lincoln. The narrative can get bogged down in some of the debates and details, though at least Masur rightly treats Congress as the coequal branch of government that it is, dispelling any notion that Lincoln alone dictated policy. The liveliest part of the sometimes-tedious debates comes in the form of an unfortunate typo, in which Senator Charles Sumner is said to have “decided to go for the juggler,” which certainly makes for an interesting, albeit unintended, mental image.

By the time the book circles back to Lincoln’s last speech, there doesn’t seem to be too much more to say about it. There’s more reaction to, and newspaper commentary about, the speech than there are quotes from, or analysis of, the speech itself - the full text of which is then tacked on as an appendix.

So while the book is lacking in page-turning storytelling, it’s good in terms of the information it imparts, in telling us that we already have a good sense of how Lincoln might have handled the period of Reconstruction, because we know how he wanted to handle the process of reconstruction. In that sense, there’s little point analyzing his last speech for clues, because the speech summarizes much of what he had already said before.

Whether it’s purposeful misdirection then, or just a desire to have a catchy title on the cover, “Lincoln’s Last Speech” seems to make the argument that the speech itself is not really what we should be focused on. It’s a bit of a bait-and-switch that might leave you appreciative of what the author actually ended up delivering - or it might leave you wishing a book about Lincoln’s last speech could have delivered more of what it seemed to promise.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief snapshot of a pivotal moment in American history, this volume touches on a subject seldom chronicled in the vast trove of Lincoln lore: Lincoln's final speech. Based on numerous newspaper excerpts, the narrative is brisk, concise, and engaging. While this book might not be targeted towards the general reader, I still found it to be highly relevant to the turbulent times in which the events took place.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just 5 weeks after delivering his magnificent Second Inaugural speech, Lincoln appeared on the White House balcony to deliver his last public address, just 2 days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox and on the eve of his assassination. You would have thought this moment of victory, after 4 unimaginably grisly years, would have spurred Lincoln to a majestic tribute praising the Union Army and reveling in the conquest of rebels who had cost the nation so much blood and treasure. But, if you know anything about Lincoln and the war's effect on his outlook, you would know that another soaring speech was not in him. Instead, Lincoln focused his address on the volatile political issue that had occupied his mind since at least 1863: how to reunite the nation and re-inaugurate the national authority over the rebellious states and the relation the newly freed people would have to their government. Masur's book concentrates on the turmoil and division that surrounded Lincoln's plan for "reconstruction" His hope for peaceful reconciliation collided with Congressional determination for vengeance. Unfortunately for our nation, Lincoln never got the chance to pursue his plan. The nation got Andrew Johnson instead. The rest, as they say, is history.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about Civil War Reconstruction and its debate during the war although a misleading title. There is little referencing Lincoln’s last speech other than the introduction and printing the text of it in an appendix. What this book does very well however is show how the evolution of Lincoln’s thinking occurred during the war and the balancing act between Congress and the president in setting the stage for reconstruction. The passage of the 13th Amendment and the gathering steam for the 14th amendment is covered. Also covered is the role of military governors and the authority of Congress and the president. For those interested in the political side of the war this is a must read and does a great job of giving a high level overview of the concerns on how to put the Union back together after the war.

[William Monaco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily the most misleading title since Bill O'Reilly's Killing Reagan. This book was all about Reconstruction (which I realize is in the subtitle) and nothing about Lincoln's last speech. I envisioned a book similar to Lincoln's Greatest Speech or Lincoln at Gettysburg. Instead Masur provides a cursory look at Lincoln's thoughts on Reconstruction throughout the war.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Historian Louis P. Masur published Lincoln’s Last Speech: Wartime Reconstruction and the Crisis of Reunion in 2015. The book is part of the Pivotal Moments in American History series. I read on my Kindle. The book also contains a section of notes divided by each chapter. Masur’s book contains an appendix that contains the text of Abraham Lincoln’s speech from April 11, 1865 (Masur 189-193). Lincoln’s Last Speech was about Lincoln’s views of Reconstruction (Masur 162-165). Masur’s book is a summary or introduction of what is known about Lincoln’s views on Reconstruction. Lincoln died before Reconstruction, so it is not known had Reconstruction would have happened if Lincoln had left the presidency in 1869, instead of being murdered in April 1865. Masur tries to trace Lincoln's writings on Reconstruction throughout his presidency. The book also looks at the history of parts of the Confederacy that the Union recaptured, especially parts of Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana. In June 1863, West Virginia broke away from Virginia to become a separate new state. Masur covers the early political history of West Virginia and what it says about Lincoln’s views on Wartime Reconstruction (Masur 26-30). I thought Masur’s book, Lincoln’s Last Speech was an insightful view of Lincoln’s views on Reconstruction.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is misleading in that the title has very little to do with the subject matter in the book. The author spends little time on the speech with the majority of the book focused on the subject of reconstruction and bringing the country back together after the civil way. He does a an adequate job on that subject.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a some possible insight into Abraham Lincoln's thoughts on reconstruction as opined by the author.

I received a free Kindle copy of Lincoln's Last Speech by Louis Masur courtesy of Net Galley  and Oxford University Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

I requested this book as the description sounded interesting. This is the first book by the author that I have read.

[Richard Subber · Rating 5 out of 5]

On April 11, 1865, a few days before his death, President Abraham Lincoln made a speech that was focused on the end of the Civil War and his ever flexible plans for “…re-construction (as the phrase goes)…”
Lincoln wanted and anticipated a better world after the end of the rebellion and the killing.
Lincoln always insisted that, despite what the Southern rebels said and did, the Confederate states had not left the national union because the union was indissoluble.
He came to be an advocate of the end of slavery, but he was prevented from being the primary agent of reconciliation and manumission, as he dearly wanted to be.
The vicious and deadly politics of slavery, and the slaveholders, and the politicians who supported them, were the enduring obstacles to the future that Lincoln imagined.
Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy addition to the Pivotal Moments collection, and to the body of Lincoln text that seems never ending.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Class book. Informational but pretty, pretty dry.

[Paul Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fascinating history. Raised on Civil War lore, it just escaped me there were political issues beyond military campaigns. This volume is a great introduction to those issues and opinions on what the end result of the war should be. A number of interesting characters appear. A must read for those who seek a deeper understanding of this war for the Union and the end of slavery and the ground work for the post-Lincoln period.

[Phil Bayly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Louis P. Masur considers what Abraham Lincoln wrote, what he meant and what he had planned, if only we hadn't lost him in April of 1865. Well researched, with insights into why Lincoln believed what he believed and said what he said.