Professor Guelzo catapults his listeners back 175 years to a world still mired in horses and steam locomotives as primary transportation, and into the mind of a man besieged from all directions, left with only limited options, a doubting circle of reluctant teamates looking to replace him, and just his wits, to pull him through and save the greatest democracy in the modern world. Marvelous stuff. The more one learns about the details of Lincoln's situation, the more one appreciates his greatness.
Cary Todd I discovered him today on RU-vid with him and McPherson. Great common sense historian. Can’t wait to read one of his books on Lincoln. I think I will buy first, “Redeeming the Great Emancipator.”
I listen many times over to this series it is truly amazing. I wish youtube would have been around when i was in school. I was left to learn history from badly written books. Thank you professor you are simply amazing.
This professor has got to be one of the few that can stand at a podium and keep my full attention with nothing but the story he's telling. Most of the people that do this are just boring. He's succinct, to the point, sprinkled with humor and on message. Never fire this man from this job.
So much talent. If you're looking for the subject with everlasting value and the best member of the faculty to learn of it, here you get your money's worth.
Buchanan had southern sympathy, but a southern politician Holt from Kentucky who became the last of secretary of War for him and Stanton persuaded Buchanan not to recognize the Confederate and not to give up the union forts! Holt helped Kentucky to remain in the USA later! Stanton's future known.
If Lincoln had done some abolitionist declaration in 1860, 1861, 1862 he could have lost Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland and the future West Virgina, East Tennessee, the more unionist areas in the Confederate states. After Vicksburg and Gettysburg he could step more!
There was only one flaw in lincolns character and that was pride. He hid it well and arguably by the time he died it had been scourged out of him by the trials God had laid upon his back. But his treatment of his father Thomas after he left home shows its ugly side in him. He could forgive young soldiers for deserting out of fear, but he xould not forgive his father for being illiterate and thereby attaching that ignorance to him in his mind. I believe God's penance for lincolns sin of pride was to deprive him of enjoying the fruits of his victory. Lincoln seemed to know a bad end would find him. It was almost uncanny. He died a great man and great men often carry the greatest flaw...ovwrweening pride. The more they try to hide it the more obvious it becomes. Thomas Lincoln was hard on his son when he was young because he could not imagine him being anything but a farmer and was distraught that the boy seemed to be no good material for farming. But when his son was a success Thomas was proud of his boy and showed every willingness to embrace him and admit it was he who was wrong...had Abraham ever given him the chance. He wouldn't even attend him when he was dying. His cousin urged him but he would not go. I love President Lincoln but he did have a cruel streak stemming from his pride.
