In his book entitled Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, James M. McPherson discusses the life of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of The United States of America, along with the Civil War in which he was involved. McPherson can be considered one of the most reputable historians and scholars on the Civil War in our time. He refers to this war as the Second American Revolution because in the end it was able to accomplish some of the original goals of liberty that were fought for during the first American Revolution. At some points, he even argues that these changes were sometimes greater than those found in the first war. Throughout the book, McPherson typically uses a variety of published papers, lectures, and a series of other essays in a very insightful way to prove his argument that the Civil War can be defined by this term. The book flows nicely and is easy to read, consisting of seven essay chapters in only 131 pages. However, McPherson manages to pack quite a bit of information about both Lincoln and the war within these parameters, creating a drama that you do not want to put down.
Through the topic is considered highly debatable by many historians, McPherson uses factual data along with primary resources of the day throughout the book, constantly using a plethora of quotations along the way. He was able to show the reader that the Civil War was, indeed, a Second Revolution by following the historical timeline. The main revolutionary event was, of course, the abolition of slavery. Black Americans made huge progress in politics, economics, and even education after the war ended. Additionally, the war created substantial change politically, socially, and economically for the entire country. Power shifted from the South to the North, allowing the extremely important Homestead Act to pass. This act helped to create a continental railroad and land grant colleges. He also discusses the redistribution of wealth, a huge change for America which helped to strengthen the federal government.
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Though it is true that the war began over limited issues, McPherson shows how it quickly escalated to one that sought revolutionary solutions. In the book, he follows President Lincoln’s involvement in the war. He writes in such a way that the reader is almost able to hear Lincoln’s own words, making the book highly enjoyable overall. He served as the Union’s Commander-in-Chief during the war, creating a strategically-developed victory in the end. The chapter entitled “How Lincoln Won the War with Metaphors” is probably one of the most interesting parts of the book. In it, McPherson discusses the differences between the communication skills of both Jefferson Davis and Lincoln. Here, he explores Lincoln’s capability of rhetoric through using metaphors, figurative language, and parables. With these skills, Lincoln was able to express to both sides the true meaning of the war. McPherson discusses in depth Lincoln’s shift to the idea of “total war.”
Another main point made in the book was how to define liberty for Americans. He explains how, at first, Americans believed that liberty meant being free from government involvement. He discusses the difference between negative liberty and positive liberty which gave the people freedom to their rights. McPherson makes the discussion quite interesting by delving in to the differences between thoughts on liberty that existed before the war versus those that came about afterwards.
Other essays included in the book discussed a variety of Lincoln’s characteristics during the war. For example, McPherson discusses topics like his style of leadership, his military strategies, and his personal beliefs on liberty. The reader is easily able to apply many of the subjects to today’s society, making the book even more valuable in this respect. The evidence he uses throughout the book is not only inspiring, it is extremely persuasive and highly entertaining.
The only negative thing the reader may notice that could sometimes be considered quite bothersome was the repetition of some of the quotations and facts that McPherson uses. However, this becomes understandable when the reader realizes that the entire book is centered around the same subject matter and that the essays were published at different times and for different conferences or journals. This makes the repetition somewhat more acceptable and does not take away from the overall pleasurable experience of reading it. It is clear that McPherson is very knowledgeable on the subject of both Lincoln and the Civil War and every page is more intriguing than the one before.
Overall, this collection of essays wrapped up nicely in highly-readable book called Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution captures a side of Lincoln that is rarely discussed in such depth. McPherson shows his skill as a brilliant historian and scholar by discussing an engaging argument about the Civil War that has brought up much dispute. However, despite the existing controversy, the author is able to capture the attention of the reader by writing in such an easy-to-follow style and by using such interesting facts that most people have never come across. In all, I would rate this book as excellent and would recommend it to anyone who might be interested in American History, the Civil War, or the life of Abraham Lincoln.
