What do you think?
Rate this book
Lincoln in American Memory
Lincoln's death, like his life, was an event of epic proportions. When the president was struck down at his moment of triumph, writes Merrill Peterson, "sorrow--indescribable sorrow" swept the nation. After lying in state in Washington, Lincoln's body was carried by a special funeral train to Springfield, Illinois, stopping in major cities along the way; perhaps a million people viewed the remains as memorial orations rang out and the world chorused its sincere condolences. It was the apotheosis of the martyred President--the beginning of the transformation of a man into a mythic hero.
In Lincoln in American Memory , historian Merrill Peterson provides a fascinating history of Lincoln's place in the American imagination from the hour of his death to the present. In tracing the changing image of Lincoln through time, this wide-ranging account offers insight into the evolution and struggles of American politics and society--and into the character of Lincoln himself. Westerners, Easterners, even Southerners were caught up in the idealization of the late President, reshaping his memory and laying claim to his mantle, as his widow, son, memorial builders, and memorabilia collectors fought over his visible legacy. Peterson also looks at the complex responses of blacks to the memory of Lincoln, as they moved from exultation at the end of slavery to the harsh reality of free life amid deep poverty and segregation; at more than one memorial event for the great emancipator, the author notes, blacks were excluded. He makes an engaging examination of the flood of
reminiscences and biographies, from Lincoln's old law partner William H. Herndon to Carl Sandburg and beyond. Serious historians were late in coming to the topic; for decades the myth-makers sought to shape the image of the hero President to suit their own agendas. He was made a voice of prohibition, a saloon-keeper, an infidel, a devout Christian, the first Bull Moose Progressive, a military blunderer and (after the First World War) a military genius, a white supremacist (according to D.W. Griffith and other Southern admirers), and a touchstone for the civil rights movement. Through it all, Peterson traces five principal images of the savior of the Union, the great emancipator, man of the people, first American, and self-made man. In identifying these archetypes, he tells us much not only of Lincoln but of our own identity as a people.
In Lincoln in American Memory , historian Merrill Peterson provides a fascinating history of Lincoln's place in the American imagination from the hour of his death to the present. In tracing the changing image of Lincoln through time, this wide-ranging account offers insight into the evolution and struggles of American politics and society--and into the character of Lincoln himself. Westerners, Easterners, even Southerners were caught up in the idealization of the late President, reshaping his memory and laying claim to his mantle, as his widow, son, memorial builders, and memorabilia collectors fought over his visible legacy. Peterson also looks at the complex responses of blacks to the memory of Lincoln, as they moved from exultation at the end of slavery to the harsh reality of free life amid deep poverty and segregation; at more than one memorial event for the great emancipator, the author notes, blacks were excluded. He makes an engaging examination of the flood of
reminiscences and biographies, from Lincoln's old law partner William H. Herndon to Carl Sandburg and beyond. Serious historians were late in coming to the topic; for decades the myth-makers sought to shape the image of the hero President to suit their own agendas. He was made a voice of prohibition, a saloon-keeper, an infidel, a devout Christian, the first Bull Moose Progressive, a military blunderer and (after the First World War) a military genius, a white supremacist (according to D.W. Griffith and other Southern admirers), and a touchstone for the civil rights movement. Through it all, Peterson traces five principal images of the savior of the Union, the great emancipator, man of the people, first American, and self-made man. In identifying these archetypes, he tells us much not only of Lincoln but of our own identity as a people.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Merrill D. Peterson
47 books8 followersMerrill Daniel Peterson was a history professor at the University of Virginia. After spending two years at Kansas State University, Peterson earned his B.A. at the University of Kansas and then took his Ph.D. in the history of American civilization at Harvard University. Before teaching at the University of Virginia, he taught at Brandeis and Princeton.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 29, 2022
I’m reading as fast as I can to get through all my Lincoln books before the end of the year, since after some five dozen books, one year of reading Nothing But Lincoln ought to be more than enough. (Checks bookshelf.) Hmm. (Checks calendar.) Ohhh.
Ok, so I don’t think I’m going to make it. So what’s the harm in starting off the new year with a few more Lincoln books…?
Anyway, if I had ended my Lincoln marathon with this book, it might actually have been a good place to stop, since Peterson takes the story of Lincoln up to the present day (or, the “present,” as of its publication in 1995) to consider his legacy, how it was shaped by those who knew him and by succeeding generations, and how it’s changed over time.
There are a number of dualities to consider about Lincoln, as he transformed from man into legend. We’re inspired by his humble origins and his status as a self-made man, while simultaneously awed by his greatness. We honor his righteousness, while looking for flaws to cut him down to size and make him more mortal and relatable. We mourn his loss and wonder what he could have achieved had he lived, but without the drama of his death, he might never have achieved mythical status at all.
Peterson ponders all of this, as he tells the story of how Lincoln the person and president became the Lincoln we know, or think we know, today.
Some early chapters get a little bogged down in topics like Lincoln’s humor, his writing ability and his religious beliefs. The ostensible aim is to compare the truth with later, hazier reminiscences about him, but some of it reads like a tangent. The further we get from Lincoln in life, though, the better the book gets, as it follows how Lincoln was remembered in statues, monuments and biographies, each one seemingly superseding the last in establishing where Lincoln stands in popular memory.
Lincoln’s Springfield tomb, for example, was once envisioned as being “the” national monument to Lincoln, long before it was overtaken by DC’s Lincoln Memorial. Early statues of Lincoln were subject to critique by Robert Lincoln, while later ones didn’t have to meet the approval of those who had known him (though curiously, Peterson mentions nothing about Robert Lincoln’s thoughts on the Lincoln Memorial or about his attendance at its dedication.) And there was tension among early biographers of Lincoln who knew him intimately, and those perceived as interlopers who presumed to tell his life story without ever having known him at all.
Lincoln’s secretaries John Nicolay and John Hay, and to some extent Lincoln’s law partner William Herndon, are given credit for unearthing otherwise-untold stories about Lincoln that have become part of his lore, though Peterson concludes that Nicolay and Hay’s multi-volume biography was more important for future historians than it was an enduring work in its own right, as these days it is not widely-read and instead "gathers dust in the recesses of a thousand libraries."
That’s because once Lincoln’s generation eventually passed away, it was left to those who never knew him to build upon the work of those who did, and interpret his life and legacy. Every generation gets its “definitive” Lincoln biography, as well as a slew of books with more and more specific titles like “Lincoln’s Doctor’s Dog” (which was once an ironically imaginary title, but a quick search reveals it is now apparently a real one.)
In the meantime, Peterson traces how places associated with Lincoln eventually became shrines, how things associated with Lincoln became relics, and how Lincoln’s name was ultimately used for everything from selling products to promoting political causes. His reputation seems to be in a constant state of flux, rising and falling as revisionists counter the popular narrative by reinterpreting his beliefs and his policies, while traditionalists counter the revisionists by restoring him to greatness.
As an effort to trace the story of Lincoln to the present day, the book does show its age at times. As Peterson tells it, the last “definitive” Lincoln biography was Stephen Oates’ 1977 work, though it was soon to be supplanted by David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography (and which has since been supplanted numerous times itself.) Peterson portrays Woodrow Wilson as an enlightened southerner, “free of the cant of the Lost Cause," which is not at all how he’d be described today. And the book touches only lightly on criticism of the Freedmen's Monument, in which Lincoln is depicted standing over a kneeling freedman, which these days has critics calling for its removal.
But you can’t fault Peterson for not foretelling the future. Just when we think we have Lincoln figured out, just when we think nothing more can possibly be said or written about him, new angles are considered and new interpretations arise. Peterson describes how, at one point, "the vast redundancy of Lincolnography was conceded” - there was officially nothing more to say - and yet, the study of Lincoln nevertheless “continued to yield enough fresh insights and interpretations to sustain a lively dialogue." The reason so many Lincoln books continue to be written is not just because a book with “Lincoln” in the title sells well, but because it seems we’re never done thinking and debating and learning about him. Even a whole year of Nothing But Lincoln hasn’t proven to be enough.
Ok, so I don’t think I’m going to make it. So what’s the harm in starting off the new year with a few more Lincoln books…?
Anyway, if I had ended my Lincoln marathon with this book, it might actually have been a good place to stop, since Peterson takes the story of Lincoln up to the present day (or, the “present,” as of its publication in 1995) to consider his legacy, how it was shaped by those who knew him and by succeeding generations, and how it’s changed over time.
There are a number of dualities to consider about Lincoln, as he transformed from man into legend. We’re inspired by his humble origins and his status as a self-made man, while simultaneously awed by his greatness. We honor his righteousness, while looking for flaws to cut him down to size and make him more mortal and relatable. We mourn his loss and wonder what he could have achieved had he lived, but without the drama of his death, he might never have achieved mythical status at all.
Peterson ponders all of this, as he tells the story of how Lincoln the person and president became the Lincoln we know, or think we know, today.
Some early chapters get a little bogged down in topics like Lincoln’s humor, his writing ability and his religious beliefs. The ostensible aim is to compare the truth with later, hazier reminiscences about him, but some of it reads like a tangent. The further we get from Lincoln in life, though, the better the book gets, as it follows how Lincoln was remembered in statues, monuments and biographies, each one seemingly superseding the last in establishing where Lincoln stands in popular memory.
Lincoln’s Springfield tomb, for example, was once envisioned as being “the” national monument to Lincoln, long before it was overtaken by DC’s Lincoln Memorial. Early statues of Lincoln were subject to critique by Robert Lincoln, while later ones didn’t have to meet the approval of those who had known him (though curiously, Peterson mentions nothing about Robert Lincoln’s thoughts on the Lincoln Memorial or about his attendance at its dedication.) And there was tension among early biographers of Lincoln who knew him intimately, and those perceived as interlopers who presumed to tell his life story without ever having known him at all.
Lincoln’s secretaries John Nicolay and John Hay, and to some extent Lincoln’s law partner William Herndon, are given credit for unearthing otherwise-untold stories about Lincoln that have become part of his lore, though Peterson concludes that Nicolay and Hay’s multi-volume biography was more important for future historians than it was an enduring work in its own right, as these days it is not widely-read and instead "gathers dust in the recesses of a thousand libraries."
That’s because once Lincoln’s generation eventually passed away, it was left to those who never knew him to build upon the work of those who did, and interpret his life and legacy. Every generation gets its “definitive” Lincoln biography, as well as a slew of books with more and more specific titles like “Lincoln’s Doctor’s Dog” (which was once an ironically imaginary title, but a quick search reveals it is now apparently a real one.)
In the meantime, Peterson traces how places associated with Lincoln eventually became shrines, how things associated with Lincoln became relics, and how Lincoln’s name was ultimately used for everything from selling products to promoting political causes. His reputation seems to be in a constant state of flux, rising and falling as revisionists counter the popular narrative by reinterpreting his beliefs and his policies, while traditionalists counter the revisionists by restoring him to greatness.
As an effort to trace the story of Lincoln to the present day, the book does show its age at times. As Peterson tells it, the last “definitive” Lincoln biography was Stephen Oates’ 1977 work, though it was soon to be supplanted by David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography (and which has since been supplanted numerous times itself.) Peterson portrays Woodrow Wilson as an enlightened southerner, “free of the cant of the Lost Cause," which is not at all how he’d be described today. And the book touches only lightly on criticism of the Freedmen's Monument, in which Lincoln is depicted standing over a kneeling freedman, which these days has critics calling for its removal.
But you can’t fault Peterson for not foretelling the future. Just when we think we have Lincoln figured out, just when we think nothing more can possibly be said or written about him, new angles are considered and new interpretations arise. Peterson describes how, at one point, "the vast redundancy of Lincolnography was conceded” - there was officially nothing more to say - and yet, the study of Lincoln nevertheless “continued to yield enough fresh insights and interpretations to sustain a lively dialogue." The reason so many Lincoln books continue to be written is not just because a book with “Lincoln” in the title sells well, but because it seems we’re never done thinking and debating and learning about him. Even a whole year of Nothing But Lincoln hasn’t proven to be enough.
January 23, 2018
This is a great book on the many different historiographies (historical interpretations) of Lincoln's life and career. Although considering the enormous volume of Lincoln literature, it's almost certainly not the only one. I already knew Lincoln was one of the most written-about figures in history, but did you know there have been tens of thousands (if not more) of books written on him since his death? They inevitably became quite redundant at some point, as this book points out.
What conclusions did I draw from it? Two things.
Other wildly differing interpretations:
Any good history bookshelf needs to contain this book, because although it doesn't make lists, it mentions so many titles on Lincoln (although only a few of the thousands), and opines on which are the most worthy, that the reader will inevitably add a few more titles to their reading list or movie list. I'm annoyed at myself for getting rid of my copy, and will buy another eventually.
What conclusions did I draw from it? Two things.
Between the huge number of conflicting, competing interpretations and the nineteenth-century's relative lack of ability to record information with veracity, any attempt to understand "the real Lincoln" is largely hopeless. My conclusion, not the book's.
The number of different groups and individuals who have used Lincoln as a pawn to represent their cause is astonishing. Even the Communist Party of America has claimed to solely represent the spirit of Lincoln, and that's only the most ridiculous example. (Their rationale was that they considered Lincoln essentially a working-class hero, which is one of the major interpretations.) Others have stronger, even if uncertain, support for exploiting Lincoln in death: the temperance movement, because Lincoln avoided alcohol; Christians, because even though Mrs. Lincoln explicitly stated her husband was "not a technical Christian" (whatever that meant--she apparently didn't explain), Lincoln did tell someone he believed Christ is God; atheists, because Lincoln's law partner William Herndon always insisted Lincoln was a "freethinker"; and Spiritualists, because...I have no idea. I would say that Lincoln's exact religious or spiritual beliefs are the most impossible to exactly answer of any questions concerning him; and the historiography has reached both extremes (devout Christian and atheistic freethinker) and a middle ground (an atheist who eventually found faith) at various times.
Other wildly differing interpretations:
Position on slavery and racial issues. Except for Southern partisans, there seems a clear consensus that Lincoln opposed slavery--enough that people can say "everybody knows that!" Racial issues are a completely different thing. Lincoln supported voluntary emigration to Liberia, but there is frequent belief that he supported it because he believed racial harmony was impossible. Even if this was untrue, recent interpretations have criticized him for that; for not issuing the Emancipation Proclamation sooner; and especially for prioritizing the integrity of the Union above eliminating slavery. Finally, many African-American thinkers (including Frederick Douglass) were appreciative but skeptical of Lincoln from the beginning; and ever since the civil rights movement, Dr. King has replaced Lincoln as the "Moses" of African-Americans.
Poets vs. academics. This is one way to characterize the extremes of interpretation: the difference between the poetic and the putatively objective. The poets began mourning, celebrating, or depicting Lincoln in verse immediately after his assassination, and poetic interpretations remained popular until at least the mid-twentieth century. The outstanding or most famous of these is Carl Sandburg. The interpretive mode, and frankly the goal, of poets like Sandburg is to create and perpetuate two things: a myth of Lincoln (myth in the neutral sense), and a folk interpretation that saw Lincoln as a quintessential American figure (even "the first American") and as a rustic (possibly working-class) who proved that someone of low birth and humble circumstances can do anything. Sandburg's popular biographies of Lincoln took this view, obviously. Academics complained that Sandburg's biographies were un-objective, ignoring or not realizing that objectivity wasn't the goal of poets.
Any good history bookshelf needs to contain this book, because although it doesn't make lists, it mentions so many titles on Lincoln (although only a few of the thousands), and opines on which are the most worthy, that the reader will inevitably add a few more titles to their reading list or movie list. I'm annoyed at myself for getting rid of my copy, and will buy another eventually.
September 4, 2017
This is an amazingly timely book despite its ‘90s publication. The nation seems to struggle with its memories and history, trying to figure out what stands and what is eradicated. This book could well receive new life if discovered by people, since it focuses on how we have remembered and depicted Lincoln since his death.
This is a fascinating journey through national memory, and much of what you thought you know to be true about Lincoln gets kicked to the curb by this author as myth, and his research seems stellar. He questions, for example, the accuracy of some of Sandburg’s writings regarding Lincoln, and he points out a number of myths that we were taught that simply can’t be verified as truth. Apparently Lincoln never did find a copy of Blackstone’s law books in a junk barrel, for example.
Over the years, there have been fierce debates about whether Lincoln was the legitimate son of Thomas Lincoln.
You get a look at the academics who have been Lincoln scholars over the years and some input from this author as to the reliability of their scholarship.
I am fascinated by the examples given here of how every political party, including the communists, have adopted Lincoln as their own at times. His words are used by numerous people with differing agendas to mean pretty much whatever they want them to mean. As an aside, I suspect Lincoln and Jesus of Nazareth could seriously compare notes on that score—but I grossly digress.
If you want simple formulaic answers as to whom you should believe regarding Lincoln scholarship, this book won’t give you that. It simply traces Lincoln’s memory in books and film and points out how we have viewed the 16th president in the more-than 150 years since his death.
Incidentally, the author seems to point out that younger generations don’t have much of an interest in Lincoln; I’m not sure I buy that entirely. This book was published before the Spielberg movie came out, and I suspect, based on the attendance and rental/sales of that movie, that significant members of the rising generation have seen it and may be less apathetic toward Lincoln than some might think. I have no way of knowing how flul are classes focused on Lincoln at our universities, but I can't imagine that line of study is being abandoned in large numbers.
If the current national debate about how we write and remember our history is of any interest to you, this book may give you much to consider with regard to Lincoln’s history and how our memories have changed over the decades.
This is a fascinating journey through national memory, and much of what you thought you know to be true about Lincoln gets kicked to the curb by this author as myth, and his research seems stellar. He questions, for example, the accuracy of some of Sandburg’s writings regarding Lincoln, and he points out a number of myths that we were taught that simply can’t be verified as truth. Apparently Lincoln never did find a copy of Blackstone’s law books in a junk barrel, for example.
Over the years, there have been fierce debates about whether Lincoln was the legitimate son of Thomas Lincoln.
You get a look at the academics who have been Lincoln scholars over the years and some input from this author as to the reliability of their scholarship.
I am fascinated by the examples given here of how every political party, including the communists, have adopted Lincoln as their own at times. His words are used by numerous people with differing agendas to mean pretty much whatever they want them to mean. As an aside, I suspect Lincoln and Jesus of Nazareth could seriously compare notes on that score—but I grossly digress.
If you want simple formulaic answers as to whom you should believe regarding Lincoln scholarship, this book won’t give you that. It simply traces Lincoln’s memory in books and film and points out how we have viewed the 16th president in the more-than 150 years since his death.
Incidentally, the author seems to point out that younger generations don’t have much of an interest in Lincoln; I’m not sure I buy that entirely. This book was published before the Spielberg movie came out, and I suspect, based on the attendance and rental/sales of that movie, that significant members of the rising generation have seen it and may be less apathetic toward Lincoln than some might think. I have no way of knowing how flul are classes focused on Lincoln at our universities, but I can't imagine that line of study is being abandoned in large numbers.
If the current national debate about how we write and remember our history is of any interest to you, this book may give you much to consider with regard to Lincoln’s history and how our memories have changed over the decades.
June 5, 2014
Very interesting book, not so much a bio of Lincoln, but a history of the myth and image of Lincoln. Starting from the bio's directly after his death to current times. Over 16,000 books and articles have been written about Lincoln. Every aspect of his life has been combed over and still, the business of Lincoln is booming. There were different periods of the Lincoln studies. The first due to the sadness of his death and what it meant. The Blacks worshipped him for freeing them from slavery. The Southerners hated him. In the 1890's there was a shift to the man, the war effort and who was this Ann Rutledge? In the 1920's there was a movement to show he was the bastard son--but who was the father? John C. Calhoun was rumored as was the son of John Marshall. After the 20's to the 60's there was a movement to psycho analyze him. Starting with Malcolm X, there was a major shift among the Blacks to either hate Lincoln or discredit him (why did he wait until January 1, 1863 to emancipate?). Then in the 70's, the novelists got involved. From Gore Vidal to Lincoln the Vampire Slayer. 16,000 books compared to 4 for Millard Fillmore.
October 14, 2008
Thorough and absorbing look at the historiography of Lincoln. Peterson does an especially good job linking the trend in Lincoln scholarship to the temper of the particular time in which it was written. Best Lincoln book I've read in the past few years.
June 11, 2010
This was a good book about the way we Americans remember Lincoln, even though some of our thoughts are not reall factual. It was worth the read to get back tosome of the truths.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
July 18, 2013
Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews