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The Lincoln Miracle

Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The vivid, behind-the-scenes story of perhaps the most consequential political moment in American history—Abraham Lincoln's history-changing nomination to lead the Republican Party in the 1860 presidential election

Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln had a record of political failure. In 1858, he had lost a celebrated Senate bid against incumbent Stephen Douglas, his second failed Senate run, and had not held public office since one term in Congress a decade earlier. As the Republican National Convention opened in mid-May 1860 in Chicago, powerful New York Senator William Seward was the overwhelming favorite for the presidential nomination, with notables like Salmon Chase and Edward Bates in the running. Few thought Lincoln stood a chance—though stubborn Illinois circuit Judge David Davis had come to fight for his friend anyway.

Such was the political landscape as Edward Achorn's The Lincoln Miracle opens on Saturday, May 12, 1860. Chronicling the tense political drama as it unfolded over the next six days, Achorn explores the genius of Lincoln's quiet strategy, the vicious partisanship tearing apart America, the fierce battles raging over racism and slavery, and booming Chicago as a symbol of the modernization transforming the nation. Closely following the shrewd insiders on hand, from Seward power broker Thurlow Weed to editor Horace Greeley — bent on stopping his former friend, Seward—Achorn brings alive arguably the most consequential political story in America's history.

From smoky hotel rooms to night marches by the Wide Awakes, the new Republican youth organization, to fiery speeches on the floor of the giant convention center called The Wigwam, Achorn portrays a political climate even more contentious than our own today, out of which the seemingly impossible long shot prevailed, to the nation's everlasting benefit. As atmospheric and original as Achorn's previous Every Drop of Blood, The Lincoln Miracle is essential reading for any Lincoln aficionado as it is for anyone who cares about our nation's history.

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    • Booklist

      November 1, 2022
      In 1860, long before American political conventions became quadrennial television spectacles with carefully orchestrated foregone conclusions designed largely to whip up enthusiasm among party faithful, the nascent Republican Party convened in Chicago's Wigwam convention center with real business to conduct. Achorn (Every Drop of Blood, 2020) follows the drama of that convention day by day, from May 12 through May 19, building on suspense as state delegations wavered back and forth. New York Senator William Seward came to the convention with the most support, but as balloting for the Presidential nomination proceeded, Illinois' favorite son, Abraham Lincoln, gathered more and more votes. Delegates caucused in smoke-filled rooms listening to candidates' boosters and reading newspaper editorials. As ever, assorted governors and other officials offered orations that only some actually listened to. A Rules Committee certified delegates and a Platform Committee crafted positions on issues such as tariffs and whether the Declaration of Independence's assertions of equality really meant to include non-whites. Thanks to clever management by Lincoln partisans, Lincoln won the nomination. Achorn's deep and energetic reconstruction of this momentous convention helps put in perspective the present political struggles over the nation's future.

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from December 12, 2022
      Lincoln’s victory at the 1860 Republican national convention was one of the most improbable in American political history, according to this comprehensive and often riveting account. Historian Achorn (Every Drop of Blood) offers sharp assessments of Lincoln’s rivals for the nomination, including front-runner William H. Seward, who would serve as Lincoln’s Secretary of State, and spotlights power brokers such as newspaper editor Horace Greeley, a staunch abolitionist whose “virile defenses of freedom stirred a nation.” Achorn also details how Lincoln stalked incumbent Illinois senator Stephen Douglas from campaign stop to campaign stop in 1858, forcing the “Little Giant” to debate him on issues of slavery. Though Lincoln lost that race, the debates caught the attention of the Republican Party’s moderate wing, giving him a long-shot chance to win the nomination. Achorn provides riveting details about the schemes and backroom deals made by Lincoln’s supporters and loads the account with dramatic set pieces, such as when Mary Todd Lincoln weighed in on a proposal to nominate her husband for the vice presidency: “If you cannot have the first place,” she told Lincoln, “you shall not have the second.” The result is a dramatic and well-informed study of political sausage-making. Agent: Lisa Adams, Garamond Agency.

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