By
Eric Foner
Five
out of Five Stars
It is safe to say that out of all the American
Presidents to date, Abraham Lincoln, the countries sixteenth and first
Republican president, is the most revered. Along with keeping the United States
of America one by not allowing various Southern states to succeed from the
Union, he is also The Great Emancipator, the President who freed the slaves,
freeing America of its greatest sin, something the Founding Fathers failed to
tackle when they formed the new nation.
My relationship with Abraham Lincoln started early
in life, when in grade two I stumbled across a children’s book recounting his
life. Since that time, I’ve read quite a lot on the man and imagine I will
continue to do so in the future. As America’s most revered President, I found,
from time to time, there is a backlash; people determined to explain why
Lincoln is not as great as is thought. On the question of slavery, there are
many instances people can bring up to prove he was not as pure in his
emancipation of the slaves as has been suggested. Amongst those was his belief
in colonization, namely in freeing the slaves, sending them somewhere other
than America to live. Of course they fail to mention that his plan for
colonization, which he considered into his Presidency, was not mandatory, but
an option for freed slaves.
The
Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery,
a winner of the Pulitzer Prize by historian Eric Foner, is a fascinating look
at Lincoln and slavery warts and all. Rather than support the iconic status and
legend of Lincoln, Foner’s examination of the man brings him down to earth,
humanizing him.
Slavery is the key topic of this examination of
Lincoln; no other issues are explored, and as such, Foner is able to provide us
a look at the evolution of Lincoln’s thoughts on the issue. From the start,
Lincoln knew slavery was wrong, that no man should be allowed to enslave
another, especially based on skin color. He knew it was wrong, but as a man of
the 19th Century, it would not be expected that he fully believed the
Black man was the equal to the White man. It wasn’t until his Presidency that
Lincoln came in contact with learned Black men and developed an appreciation for
their character and intellect, and the possibility of their equality of
citizenship.
Demonstrating Lincoln’s evolution of thought is
where The Fiery Trial truly excels;
and it is that ability to grow, learn and adapt that made him so great. America’s
sin of slavery tore the country apart, resulting in a Civil War, one of the
bloodiest wars ever fought by Americans. Insight into Lincoln’s thought
process, and his own intellect is a revelation. When the South succeeded from
the Union, many Northern abolitionists believed the President should
immediately free the slaves, and when he didn’t, criticized him harshly. What
they didn’t understand was Lincoln’s belief that Northerners, even abolitionist
Northerners, would not be willing to fight a war with the South simply to free
the Black man; they would not willingly spill blood for that cause, so he had
to coach the conflict not in terms of ending slavery, which he truly believed
it would, but as important to keep the nation whole. He knew he’d have to wait
for the right time to issue an Emancipation Proclamation and did so
accordingly. Jumping the gun might have resulted in a far different America
than we know today.
The
Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery
is a very accessible book; Foner writes simply, but effectively, and mines his
topic thoroughly. In the world of Lincoln books, he has created one that should
not be missed. It is brilliant in focusing on a man struggling with one of the
greatest questions of his day, and accomplishing a difficult task during a very
difficult time. In reading about Lincoln’s struggles with slavery, warts and
all, I have to admit my opinion of the man has not faltered, but instead
increased. This is definitely a book worth reading and a MUST read for admirers
of Abraham Lincoln.
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