This Fiery Trial de William E. Gienapp

This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln

William E. Gienapp

The most eloquent president in our history, Abraham Lincoln's literary ability was extraordinary. In This Fiery Trial, William Gienapp has brought together more than one hundred pieces by Lincoln, ranging from his first published political statement, printed in the Sangamo Journal in 1832, to
his final public address, delivered just before his assassination.
Here are some of the greatest speeches in American history, including the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. Other pieces include Lincoln's A House Divided speech to the Republican State convention in 1858, excerpts from his famed debates with Stephen Douglas, and the text of the
Emancipation Proclamation. The writings provide a documentary account of Lincoln's thought and how it evolved over time. Students can trace, for instance, how his thoughts on slavery and emancipation changed through the course of the war, from a rather limited view (free slaves for military purposes
only) to his ringing endorsement of the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery forever. Gienapp has provided detailed introductory headnotes for each piece, and the book includes an extensive chronology of Lincoln's life.
Often eloquent, frequently amusing, and occasionally profound, these writings offer an intimate portrait of Lincoln--in his own words.

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Descriere

William Gienapp has edited a new edition of Lincoln's writings intended to supplement as well as serve as a companion to his short biography Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America. This concise edition will appeal to both a general audience interested in becoming acquainted with Lincoln via his writings, speeches, and letters, as well as to students in college courses covering the Civil War and Lincoln's presidency. Gienapp has provided longer and moredetailed introductory headnotes than those offered by similar collections of Lincoln's writings, while at the same time, through judicious selection and editorial focus, he has kept the length short enough to make it an attractive supplementary text for college courses.This edition contains selections from Lincoln's writings from his early years to his death, with primary emphasis on the presidential years. Some documents, especially letters, are published in full, but many of the documents, particularly speeches, annual messages, proclamations, and public letters have been carefully condensed to preserve the full meaning and significance of Lincoln's writings while at the same time maximizing the collection's conciseness. Taken together the selections conveyLincoln's basic ideas, the nature of his wartime leadership, and his personality and character.

Notă biografică

William Gienapp grew up in Iowa and California and was educated at the University of California, Berkley, and Yale University. He received his Ph.D. from Berkeley in 1980. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, The University of Wyoming and Harvard University, where he is Professor of Harvard College. He is the author of The Origins of the Republican Party, 1852-1856 (1987), which received the Avery O. Craven Award from the Organization ofAmerican Historians, and co-author of Nation of Nations, a U.S. history textbook. A specialist on the Civil War era, he recently published a documentary collection on the war and reconstruction and is currently writing a history of the Civil War. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln StudiesCenter.