History Book Critique

Annie Hoang
Howard Bodner
History 1301 (Honors)
November 30, 2010
James M. McPherson, the author of the historical book, Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, received his bachelor degree of arts in 1958 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Later in 1963, McPherson obtained his doctorate degree at John Hopkins University. His first book was The Struggle for Equality 1964 which he was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Award. Among the many of his wonderful books, in 1989, his book Battle Cry of Freedom was a Pulitzer-Winning book. Almost a decade later, in 1998, McPherson received the Lincoln Prize for his book, For Cause and Comrades. Aside from winning individual book prizes, in 2007, McPherson was the firsts person to be awarded the $100,000 Pritzer Military Library Literature award.
In the book Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, McPherson examines the role of Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War. In doing so, he gives insights of Lincoln as Commander in Chief as well as Lincoln's presidential leadership during a time of crisis. Most importantly, he also talks about Lincoln and the new meaning for liberty in the book while also showing the relationship between freedom and slavery. Not to forget, McPherson also provided how well Lincoln was able to persuade the Northern people that war was necessary
McPherson explains that the Civil War had started because during the time, the southern states felt that the northern states were over powering and that the government was too strong. Therefore, as a result, they did not think that the government had the rights to tell them what or what they were not allowed to do. Thus, the southern states had concluded that they wanted to secede from the Union. However, Abraham Lincoln as president felt this action was illegal and unconstitutional. Nevertheless, the southern states still attempted to leave the Union in which aroused the president and led him to call for a bloody violent war. A civil war was the only thing left that Lincoln felt that would help keep the Union united.
As "Commander-in-Chief" Lincoln was mainly responsible for this unconditional victory of Union forces" (McPherson 68)."But as a portrait of Lincoln the strategist of Union Victory, they are incomplete. The focus is too narrow; the larger picture is some how blurred. Most... studies are based on too restricted a definition of strategy...[however] we can divide our definition of strategy into two parts: First, national strategy (or what the British call grand strategy); second, military strategy (or what the British call operational strategy)" (McPherson 70). According to McPherson, Lincoln's strategy was the second strategy known as the military or the operational strategy however McPherson said that "it is impossible to understand military strategy without also comprehending national strategy" (McPherson 70). Although war has commenced "Lincoln took seriously his constitutional duty as commander in chief of the army and navy" (McPherson 66). Throughout the "time of crisis, Lincoln frequently stayed at the telegraph office all night reading dispatches from the front, sending office dispatches of his own, [and] holding emergency conferences" (McPherson 66). In addition, the hard working president also borrowed books that were about military strategy from the Library of Congress (McPherson 66).
Lincoln once proclaimed that ""The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now are much in want of one" he also proclaimed that "We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different but incompatible things, called the same name-liberty""(McPherson 43-44). Later, "in April 1864, Marylanders were debating a proposal to amend their own constitution to abolish slavery in the state" (McPherson 44). However, the proposal split the white population of Maryland in half. The side that was supporting the proposal was those that wanted to take a step closer to liberty while the other side was "condemning it as a despotic blow against liberty" (McPherson 44).
McPherson stated that it is a must that the government needs to protect a citizen's liberty, however at the same time, "it must also be prevented from becoming so strong or corrupt as to undermine that same liberty" (McPherson 46). Later, McPherson exclaimed that "for the national consciousness- indeed the nation itself-was forged in struggle for these civil liberties against what Americans considered overweening government power. This consciousness-this struggle-also helps to explain the paradox of the coexistence of American liberty and American slavery" (McPherson 46). Since abolition of slavery was the second issue of the Civil War, according to McPherson, Lincoln did not approve of holding slaves, however, he also did not wish to put forbid slavery in those states that were already slave holding states. McPherson said that "it was not that Lincoln wanted to preserve slavery. On contrary, he said many times: "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong." But as president he could not act officially on his private "judgement [concerning] the moral question of slavery." He was bound by the Constitution, which protected the institution of slavery in the states" (McPherson 30-31).
Although Lincoln wanted slavery to die out naturally on its own, he northerners made it impossible. McPherson made it clear that Lincoln was very angry! Angrily Lincoln had said, "They "must understand,"... "that they cannot experiment for ten years trying to destroy the government, and if they fail still come back into the Union unhurt."[McPherson also added that] In a metaphor that he used several times, Lincoln said that "broken eggs cannot be mended." The egg of slavery was already broken.."; in another words, "you cannot make an omelet they say, without breaking eggs-that is, you cannot make a new society without destroying the old one"(McPherson 36). As a result, Lincoln was determined that only war would help resolve the issue.
This book was well developed, and was written in a way that engages the reader. The reader is most likely able to be very attentive during the process of reading in order to understand and comprehend what is going on. Once the reader is able to understand the reading, then they are most likely to become very engaged in reading the book and wanting to read on and learn more about what is going to happen next. The book was indeed very persuasive! It guided the reader to a better understanding of what was going on and why President Lincoln decided to do what he had done. McPherson did not at all seem to be authoritative. His writing contained all details and perspective that would guides the reader to understand where both sides are coming from, although he does favor Lincoln a bit more. The information that was presented in the book was exactly like what a history teacher would say and lecture about in a class. All information were reliable and are most likely what I am able to find from other sources. I would definitely recommend this book to other students who want to gain more understanding to what happened in the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's position. Not to forget, those who also want to know what each side had fought for.