Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

by John Stauffer

Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were the preeminent self-made men of their time. In this masterful dual biography, award-winning Harvard University scholar John Stauffer describes the transformations in the lives of these two giants during a major shift in cultural history, when men rejected the status quo and embraced new ideals of personal liberty. As Douglass and Lincoln reinvented themselves and ultimately became friends, they transformed America.

Lincoln was born dirt poor, had less than one year of formal schooling, and became the nation's greatest president. Douglass spent the first twenty years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling-in fact, his masters forbade him to read or write-and became one of the nation's greatest writers and activists, as well as a spellbinding orator and messenger of audacious hope, the pioneer who blazed the path traveled by future African-American leaders.

At a time when most whites would not let a black man cross their threshold, Lincoln invited Douglass into the White House. Lincoln recognized that he needed Douglass to help him destroy the Confederacy and preserve the Union; Douglass realized that Lincoln's shrewd sense of public opinion would serve his own goal of freeing the nation's blacks. Their relationship shifted in response to the country's debate over slavery, abolition, and emancipation.

Both were ambitious men. They had great faith in the moral and technological progress of their nation. And they were not always consistent in their views. John Stauffer describes their personal and political struggles with a keen understanding of the dilemmas Douglass and Lincoln confronted and the social context in which they occurred. What emerges is a brilliant portrait of how two of America's greatest leaders lived.

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

447 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2008

About the author

John Stauffer is chair of the History of American Civilization and professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that David Blight the noted historian suggested that our group in a Teaching American History grant should read before going on a Civil War tour this summer. It is a pleasant read. It makes me want to read more on Frederick Douglass, which I plan on doing. One of the great insights that I received from this book centered on Lincoln. Lincoln today would be called a flip flopper but in reality he evolved as a thinker and as a person and was still evolving at the time of his death. His primary goal was to preserve the union and give us the chance to continue the debate over the contested concepts of liberty and freedom. Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University gave this assessment of Lincoln: "Abraham Lincoln is, quite simply, the greatest argument against despair in dark times that our history provides."

[Zack · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stauffer's book sets out to offer a dual biography of two of America's great public figures, but the book fails to tell the story of either life particularly well. Douglass is presented as by far the more forward-looking of the pair, as Lincoln only bends toward Douglass's views with the passage of time and through political expediency (though their friendship continues in earnest despite Lincoln's reservations). The intellectual history of the self-made man is a leitmotif of the book, but serious flaws in character development mar Stauffer's approach. The author takes the somewhat ludicrous possibility of Lincoln's homosexuality and runs with it, even going so far as to declare that we should hope Lincoln's mind at the altar turned back to Joshua Speed, who had taught Lincoln the meaning of love. Douglass, despite a description of his extramarital affair, escapes this sort of nonsense. The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln's opportunity to reaffirm and redefine the war, is found nowhere in the book - an inexcusable omission in a work dressed in the pretense of biography. Though Stauffer has acquitted himself with lukewarm success as a Douglass historian elsewhere, this book generally does not pass muster on many key issues, relegating it hopefully to the ignominious backwaters of Lincoln historiography.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and eye-opening look at the truth behind abolition and results of America's Civil War and the role these two title men played during the era. Eerily captures echos of events of modern times.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you peruse my bookshelf, you'll see that I read a lot about Lincoln and about 19th-century US history. I couldn't resist this dual biography--I don't expect to read much new about Lincoln, but new perspectives on Lincoln always intrigue me. And I had never read a biography of Douglass, just his first autobiography. This book shows how these two men "made" themselves and were made by their times, how they fought slavery in their different ways, how Douglass criticized Lincoln's policies and speeches for being too gradualist and compromising, and how the two met and became friends. Lincoln seems to have treated African-Americans with the same respect and humanity as white Americans, which was pretty unusual in those days, even for abolitionists and reformers, who could sometimes be patronizing--or despite their opposition to slavery, not believe in equality. Not that Lincoln didn't have his racist prejudices. Anyone who has read about Lincoln knows he advocated colonization for the longest time, but he did listen to black Americans like Douglass when they repeatedly expressed no interest in colonization and insisted they were U.S. citizens. Moments in this biography are quite moving. For example, after delivering his Second Inaugural address, Lincoln asked Douglass what he thought of it, saying, "I value your opinion more than anyone's." In the years after Lincoln's death, Douglass praised him highly and went along with the apotheosis of Lincoln. It's interesting to read about Douglass' family life, his marriages, his brief alliance with John Brown, his dignified response to racist treatment, and his attempt to deal with the post-Civil War years, a time when many who had fought valiantly against slavery were not sure how to redirect their energies or how to deal with the ugly complexities of Reconstruction and the "new" South, with basically a new form of slavery. This is a very readable book and I highly recommend it.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to the parallel lives concept

The most thought-provoking and controversial parts are on the Lincoln side.

1. Was he really that much of, not just a moderate, but even a conservative, toward the "slave power" before, say, middle 1862? We have a solid argument for "yes" in this book.

2. Was Lincoln gay? The author himself says sexual lines were more fluid at that time, and never suggests that Lincoln actually had intercourse with Joshua Speed, nor does he call Lincoln gay. I'll go along with this, and say that one reviewer who is in a dander misread this part of the book.

3. Was Lincoln "white trash"? Stauffer argues the terminology was in use at that time and was used about Lincoln. And, if it didn't have all the connotations of today, it had enough. Before he left his father's home, did the shoe fit? Is it fair to use the phrase? I'd say a qualified yes.

But, what about Douglass? Was he a bit of a "sellout" in late life? Was he a bit of a glory hound?

This is generally good revisionist history. Give it a read.

[Joe Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dual biography linking two self-made men surpassed my expectations. It is a marvelously written shared biography and a history of the struggle for freedom and equality during the pre- and Civil War period. For anyone not familiar with the life of Frederick Douglass, as was this reader, this book provides a good introduction to the man and his significance in both the movement to end slavery and his influence on Lincoln.

By merging of the two biographies, Douglass becomes a foil by which readers obtain a fuller sense of the character of Lincoln and his political skills. Linked to Douglass, we get a more nuanced portrait of Lincoln.

This reader found the period before Lincoln was elected President to be the most interesting part of the Lincoln story. It is in this part where we experience Lincoln as the political animal who is very much part of the racism of his period. This makes Lincoln’s transformation revolutionary. He, like Douglass, were not simply self-made men, but men who remade themselves.

By linking these two men, this biography exceeds the sum of its parts.

[Justin Battles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up I had a surface level understanding of the two of our nations greatest men. This book took me deeper. Both of them were self-made men that changed the course of history albeit without a formal education. Abraham Lincoln was an admirable man with his faults. Political pressures and personal convictions contributed to his decision to free the slaves. Not all of his motives were benevolent as most have come to understand. However it is clear that he was a good man. On the other hand you have Frederick Douglass. A man of high principle also. You had no other motive but to free the the people who he shared status with: slaves. This book does a great job in fleshing out both men’s characters. It compares and contrast both men’s upbringing, and motivations to show how they both played a role in the abolition of slavery. Each had different ideals, and they disagreed a ton. However they shared a common goal. It’s great to see how these men disagreed with one another but disagreement did not lead to delay in doing what was right. We all could learn a thing or two especially in todays climate. I recommend this book to everyone.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read this book makes me want to read Stauffer's book on interracial friendship, which I suspect displays the height and heft of his analytical abilities. This book felt thin-ish...pitched to occasions like the Lincoln Bicentennial and Obama's election rather than a needed-to-be-done, long-pondered biographical and historical study. The parallels between Douglass and Lincoln that Stauffer structured his book around sometimes seemed strained. Also, Stauffer made Frederick Douglass a much more compelling figure than Lincoln, I think in an effort to give Lincoln's racism and caution their due, but it left me without a clear impression of his strengths as a politician and a president.

A lot of the anecdotes in the book were very well presented, and I loved (and was persuaded by) Stauffer's analysis of Lincoln's homoerotic friendship with Joshua Speed. Some of Stauffer's job is made more difficult here by how compelling Douglass's autobiographical writings are. Reading summaries of the experiences that Douglass narrates with such flair and rhetorical power loses something in paraphrase. Also, a tic that I found frustrating is Stauffer's tendency to compare orators and politicians to famous athletes. It kept feeling like an undergraduate lecture and a corny comparison. Not enough to say "they were famous and adulated"?

[Boni Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've taken a great interest in black history as of late. I actually have never read a biography of Lincoln, except of his death and how that occurred. I thought this was a great way to read about the life of Lincoln alongside Douglass. I honestly don't remember learning about any black Americans in high school history classes, except Martin Luther King. I believe Malcom X was referred to, but only in a negative light. I think that it is sad that our history is so white-washed. Frederick Douglass was an incredible person.

The book had some fascinating information regarding both men and their personal lives. Also, I like the connections the two had. I always regard Lincoln so highly, this book reminds me that he was a human with flaws like everyone else. Not to downplay what he did as president, he was incredible, yet it was interesting to read how his views evolved towards slavery.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

"There is no explicit evidence that Lincoln and [Joshua] Speed enjoyed carnal love," admits the author. Yet he spends several pages painting a picture of Lincoln enjoying the favors of prostitutes as well as claiming that even as he married Mary Todd, he apparently was still enamored with his previous male roommate.

I found this to be quite disgusting and totally at odds with his thesis as found in his preface.

A simple bit of editing would do wonders.

[Danmcgohan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was interesting and an easy read, but I only gave the book one star because I believe the author has an agenda rather than presenting historical fact. He gleaned that President Lincoln had homosexual acts with dear friend Joshua Speed. (Siting he slept with him in a boarding house - common practice of the time- and stated that he loved him dearly - also common of the time). How can you trust any of the rest of the book.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started out great, I found it very interesting, but when I got to the chapter that the author began to explain Lincoln's homosexual relationship with his best friend and how Christians didn't have a problem with that back then, I had enough.

[Bob Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two ways of looking at these “giants” of American history in this extraordinary book.

They are flawed, sure. Lincoln was too conservative; when other Republicans
were pushing for slave emancipation and he was stalling, Douglass rightly was critical, eloquent and brave.

President Lincoln finally pulled the trigger, allowing blacks to fight and effectively ending slavery. Douglass was happy and praised Lincoln, but never entertained the notion that Lincoln saw a bigger reality - political issues.

While Douglass was consistent, always pushing even when it was not convenient or easy.
Yet, after Lincoln was killed, the war was over and the slaves were free, Douglas lived three more decades but wasted them, pretty much retiring from the political arena.

Very interesting book. Stauffer makes a good case about the two men sharing much in common. They were self-made men, growing up in poverty. Neither had much education - Lincoln, maybe a year; Douglas none.

Both had unhappy marriages. Douglas may have had an affair. Lincoln was overall an unhappy man. There’s just a lot of stuff packed into this dual biography.
Lincoln’s father resented his reading books, insisting his boy was lazy.
Douglass was born a slave, but wound up as a valued orator, a spokesman for freedom and a newspaper editor and writer.

Lincoln supported colonization of blacks by shipping them off to a foreign land, and even tried to enlist Douglass help in doing so. It is to Lincoln’s credit that he changed his approach when Douglass made his own position clear.

The author doesn't treat Lincoln with kid gloves, which I appreciate. He also discusses in detail Douglass' ever-evolving relationship with Lincoln, his frustrations with Lincoln as president, and his willingness to help recruit blacks for the federal army, all after Lincoln does the right thing.

In the end, Stauffer does both men justice in this worthy book.

[Lucy Keough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without claiming expertise or high scholarship, I have read a fair amount about the civil war, Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. When I came upon this book I wondered whether it could offer enough additional insight to warrant its reading. This book certainly offered me many perspectives different and/or nuanced from what I had previously read. Especially with regard to the long standing question of whether the war was fought to preserve the union vs the abolition of slavery. And relatedly the evolution of Lincoln’s views on slavery. Its depiction of Lincoln’s highly complex personality is well done. The book does a good job on presenting Lincoln’s nature at its base as profoundly political which accounts for his sometimes seeming contradictions in words and deeds. Douglass seems much more straightforward— which is not to diminish his extraordinary life story and accomplishments; his is simply not as complex a personality. I’m not sure the comparison of the two, while interesting, adds much insight into either one. I also think that this book is better appreciated if read in the context of other histories of that era. Overall a very worthwhile read.

[Glenn Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely fascinating bio of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and the trials and tribulations both men faced, the issues of the days and how they dealt with these and the friendship that developed.

We all know the issues that each man faced, but not so much in details. This is a well researched book that takes a very insightful approach to how Douglass dealt with John Brown and the Raid, his hundreds of speeches and how he got around the country, and his influence in the Abolition movement. With Lincoln, the author shows how Whites were under complete ownership of the fathers until the age of 21 and that Abe was rented out to neighbors until this time. The many set backs that Abe had is well known and glossed over, but the presidential campaign and the time in the White House in regards to his dealings with slavery and Blacks in the army are gone into a very detailed manner, including the many different views of how to deal with the South, with Slavery and with post-war America. Well done book.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique perspective
The book provides an interesting comparison of Douglass and Lincoln as two self-made men who were significant thought leaders during their time. The book is very well documented with over 100 pages of citations, which are very useful. While well researched, I thought the narrative focused oddly on whether Lincoln had a homosexual relationship or not. I believe this discussion did not tie into the overall theme of the bank of the two mens’ parallel lives, and should been the subject of a separate book. The latter part of the book is devoted to Lincoln’s evolution to emancipation but is covered in such a haphazard fashion that I could not recommend it. Many other books provide a better discussion of this topical other reviewers have noted.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well researched book with more detail than I had previously discovered regarding their lives. That being said, while the book started out strong in terms of describing their early life, lack of education & how they overcame their circumstances; it became a difficult read as the author would transition between the lives of the two men and this transition was not always smooth. I felt this book gave me more details about Frederick Douglass and would recommend it for anyone wishing to know more of his life but I feel there are other novels that better depict Abraham Lincoln's life, his views on abolition and issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

[Andrew Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of two of the finest minds in American history. The similarities made between Douglass and Lincoln support the “Self-Made” undercurrent very well, but could have been said of many “successful” men of that time. As with other reviewers, I wonder why Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg was omitted, but don’t think it hindered the theme of the book.

Very well researched and written, a pleasure to read.

[Tom Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

FANTASTIC book, and one of the most well-written and readable books I have read in a while. Doesn't treat Lincoln with kid gloves, which as a Lincoln enthusiast I appreciate. It also discusses in detail Douglass' ever-evolving relationship with Lincoln, his frustrations with Lincoln as president, and his understanding of Lincoln's precarious situation as president years after Lincoln's assassination. Highly recommended!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned lots about the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. I had read Fredrick Douglass’ first autobiography so knew his story but gained a better appreciation from this book. While I knew my school education about the Civil War was extremely simplified and whitewashed I am shocked at how much I didn’t know.

[Aaron Horton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. There are a few nuggets in this book that I didn't realize about Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. If you like history I would recommend this book. This book is going in the keep pile.

[Joel Maqueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gateway drug for more historical and biographical material on these two extraordinary Americans. Fascinating!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Difficult to blend basically two biographies into one. Worth the read

[Treva Zash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight into both men. Things you don't hear in history class.

[Lisa Eckold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating dual biography. I was struck by the flaws and inconsistencies of both men, but heartened by their willingness to evolve over time. I learned so much from this book. Highly recommend it.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, parallel lives touching each other causing each to grow and change.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I'm going to be reading a lot more about Frederick Douglass.

[Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A revealing portrait of the two great self-made men of the 19th century whose political differences nonetheless did not prevent them from becoming friends. The author's commitment to realism - showing each of the protagonists in all of his glory and shame - adds to both the heft and the credibility of this fascinating character study.

As the story ably unfolds, we begin to see parallels in these two great, flawed men (including domineering wives, a commitment to oratory as a professional differentiator and belief in self-making and continual personal evolution) that would not be expected from people of such divergent backgrounds. Yet, as Professor Stauffer reveals, they were more similar in upbringing than first might be supposed: each was exploited as a youth (Douglass a slave, Lincoln effectively an indentured servant to his father), each considered a fight as a seminal event in his life (Douglass with Covey, an overseer bent on his submission, and Lincoln with Armstrong, a local tough whose friendship he subsequently earned, etc.)

What emerges is a compelling look at two of the most influential Americans of all time, each of whom made an indelible impression on this country at one of its most critical junctures. Are there some challenges with the book, sure, it's not perfect, just really, really good. What lingers after reading it is an appreciation for reality - neither of the protagonists is as heroic as their current myth - and for how even flawed men can rise to the moment and make constructive history despite their humble origins.

[Bj · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife got this book from our local library and I took a look at it immediately since I have read a number of books on Lincoln (and just saw the movie Lincoln). My first turn of the pages drew me to read more and take the book from my wife to read (with her consent of course). The book is just wonderful to read, brings the characters to life and also educates the reader about both men, their three encounters in 1863, 1864 and 1865. The book reveals how both men changed with time, experience and education. Of course the issues of slavery, emancipation, the idea colonization for African-Americans in the early part of the Civil War to the Caribbean-Central America, and the issue of allowing former slaves or free blacks to fight for our country are all there in full explanation for the reader.

Finally the interesting part of the book is how many freeman and free-women there were in our country before and during the Civil War. That part is always over looked in our discussion of slavery. Though most blacks at the time were under the horrible slave system.

I strongly recommend this book!