The Real Lincoln
Who was the man behind the myth? New research delves into Abe's early years
Whatever his previous views, when the time came, Lincoln leapt into the political ring, condemning Kansas-Nebraska, denouncing the injustice of slavery, and, soon enough, joining the leadership of the new Republican Party. He was not the country's most passionate abolitionist, by any means--or even a true abolitionist at all. "There was no doubt," writes Thomas Keneally in Abraham Lincoln , "that Lincoln believed both propositions on slavery: that it was morally offensive yet constitutionally guaranteed."
But, as he had throughout his early life, Lincoln would demonstrate an incredible capacity to grow--eventually becoming, by the end of his presidency, the greatest abolitionist of his time. By 1860, slavery had become the defining issue of the presidential campaign. When seven states seceded before he was able to take the oath of office, Lincoln knew that challenges lay ahead. Before he left Illinois for the White House, he told a group of journalists: "Well, boys, your troubles are over now; mine have just begun."
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