Why Lincoln: Preserving an American Legacy

by Jonathan White (Editor)

Abraham Lincoln is the central figure in American history. Perhaps more than any other person, he recognized how America’s founding principles of liberty, equality, and democracy were worthy of preserving, not only for the sake of freedom in the United States but also because they would give "hope to the world for all future time." His leadership during America’s greatest crisis—the Civil War—preserved the nation and, in his words, made the nation "forever worthy of the saving." It is altogether fitting and proper that we remember him and reflect on his legacy. In the essays in this volume, leading scholars and public historians capture why he matters to them, and why he should still matter to all of us.

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[David Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lincoln scholar Jonathan White asked a dozen other Lincoln scholars for essays related to the question of Why Lincoln. The responses are a blend of autobiography (how and why they got into Lincoln studies) and insights into why Lincoln remains important to today's society. A short foreword by Jon Meacham, the presidential scholar with his own bestselling book on Lincoln, provides an interesting introduction to the series of essays. White adds his own introduction and afterward to round out the book.

The book works well in both ways. To see that Harold Holzer got started in Lincoln studies by literally picking a name out of a hat and that Michael Burlingame veered off an early retirement from one academic institution into a Lincoln-centric career at another provides interesting views into what makes a historian. Beyond that, all the essays - some more deeply than others - dig into why Lincoln was both critical to his own time and a valuable study for today's turbulent times. These are some of the most respected Lincoln historians in the United States, and their studies of Lincoln provide us insights to help us through a political crisis mirroring the one he guided us through, as well as help us envision a pathway toward that more perfect Union that has eluded us despite the promise of the founders.

Disclosure: As a fellow Lincoln scholar, I know all of the contributors, many of whom I call friends and mentors.

David J. Kent
Author of "Lincoln: Fire of Genius" and "Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours"