Congressman Lincoln Kindle Edition

Lincoln's life is a learning lesson for all of us when dealing with set backs. This offers a number of life lessons in a short time period that is not often covered in the many biographies of Abe.

For that weird growing movement that is trying to remove Abe Lincoln from the US Currency for the movements wrong belief that Lincoln was racist, this is one of many books that should be read. He was not racist, was not pro-slavery and actually tried to get laws passed in Congress in 1847 to end slavery in the nations capital.

Most bios of Lincoln glimpse over his life in the 40's and 50's and instead focus from 1858 on. His time in congress is an interesting time in both his life and America's time line. Abe fought hard to become the congressional rep and worked to make a difference. Abe worked hard building a network that helped to get him elected.

While in DC during his short stint as a congressman, he worked hard to block the US from war with Mexico, taking on President Polk in legal challenges for the justification and the continuation of the war. While he did not succeed in ending the war, he did build his name brand.

For the 1848 Presidential elections, he fought hard to have General Taylor, a Southerner, elected. It is during this time that Abe built his national network that helped his 1860 win.

As for learning lessons, how he succeeding is very important to study and more so how he dealt with set backs. After he was out of Congress, he tried very hard to be the head of the land inspectors office yet was denied. A learning lesson here-one of the people that denied him him the slot destroyed his own presidential chances with that decision-William Seward-chose to not appoint him. Another lesson-knowing ones career goal to help decide offers: Lincoln was offered the governorship to Oregon but he turned it down as he felt that Oregon would take him out of the spotlight for future bids to the White House.

A good book, well researched, well written.

Abraham Lincoln served one term in the U.S. Congress, from 1847 to 1849. Biographies of Lincoln usually cover this period in a few pages, but historian Chris DeRose has written an entire book upon the subject. The premiere act of Lincoln's congressional term was his criticism of President James K. Polk. Polk had forced a war on Mexico by moving troops onto their land. When Mexico attacked, Polk told Congress that Mexico had "spilled American blood on American soil." In a speech in Congress, Lincoln asked whether it was truly American soil, and whether the U.S., and not Mexico, were the aggressors. The war had been underway for many months when Lincoln gave his speech, and many in his home state of Illinois were not pleased with Lincoln's criticism of the president in the midst of a war. They felt it was unpatriotic. The speech probably ruined Lincoln's chance at a second term.

Lincoln gave a few other speeches, wrote many letters, applied for a patent, and argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. What is known of his term in Congress would hardly fill a book. So DeRose fleshes out his book by offering what is essentially a history of the 30th Congress, the Mexican War, and the presidential election of 1848. The Mexican War was highly controversial. Some historians have likened it to the Vietnam War in that regard. The land gained by the U.S. from Mexico as a result of the war was immense, making up about fifty percent of all Mexican territory. What would that land become--free or slave? This issue, the extension of slavery into the territories, would lead the U.S. into a civil war in 1861.

Lincoln cut his teeth in the 30th Congress. We see him becoming the wise, calm, compassionate man who would lead the country through its greatest crisis. We catch glimpses of his integrity, his sense of humor, and his sometimes difficult marriage.

There were a few places in the book where I took issue with things DeRose said. For instance, when the Lincolns were on their way to Washington D.C., they stopped to visit with Mary Lincoln's family in Lexington, Kentucky. Historians say it is possible and even likely that Lincoln was present at a speech given by his "beau ideal" of a politician, Henry Clay. (Clay also lived in Lexington.) But as there is no documented proof, they cannot say for certain that it happened. DeRose, however, states unequivocally that Lincoln was there. But though his book is footnoted throughout, he provides no footnotes in this case. There are a few other instances were he makes similar, unsubstantiated claims.

Still, the book is well written and offers enough information about Congressman Lincoln and the time in which he served to make it a worthwhile read.

Like most people, I have read only about Lincoln as a young man in a hard scrabble existence and as a depressive fighting a truly gruesome war. This book shows why Lincoln was successful as a retail politician. It also shows his pragmatism and determination. I have always been awed by his the wisdom and humanity in his letters, but the reader is shown his writing about more mundane things. He puts every modern president and their many speech-writers to shame. Their words are appreciated only by their fans and one can barely remember what they said the next day. I found myself thinking about things Lincoln wrote and said for days after I finished the book, and I recall most of them a month later. His wit in his political speeches seemed devastatingly effect with none of the low-brow snarkiness we see now.

The author also masterfully explained the events and issues of the day. Too often histories today with an eye on current issues, leading to abject failure to represent what they are supposedly writing about. After reading this author's book, I had no idea what his views on current events is --- and I apprecited that very much.

A great read; I highly recommend it, especially if you love history.

I loved this book and learned so much about this overlooked period of lincoln's life. The details about life in Washington at that time were so fascinating. The intricacies of the relationships and issues that grew from that time until they exploded in the Civil War were simply amazing and so very well described. Lincoln learned so much about the national political arena that the experiences helped him when he arrived there
years later. His opposition to the Mexican War cost him politically as did his anti slavery views but it showed his character to be one of integrity .
It is astonishing to me that the more I learn about Lincoln the more I am in awe of him.