The Lincoln miracle : inside the Republican convention that changed history / Edward Achorn.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, [2023]Copyright date: ©2023Edition: First edition; First Grove Atlantic hardcover editionDescription: viii, 516 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780802160621
- 080216062X
- Inside the Republican convention that changed history
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
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Main Library | NonFiction | 324.973 A179 | Available | 33111010967327 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
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.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 451-501) and index.
Friday, October 29, 1858. Prologue: Such a sucker as me -- Saturday, May 12, 1860. Chapter one: Unconscious strength -- Chapter two: The irrepressible conflict -- Chapter three: Temple of liberty -- Sunday, May 13, 1860. Chapter four: Star after star -- Chapter five: The man in the white coat -- Chapter six: The taste is in my mouth -- Monday, May 14, 1860. Chapter seven: River of iron -- Chapter eight: Deutsches Haus -- Tuesday, May 15, 1860. Chapter nine: Moving Heaven and Earth -- Wednesday, May 16, 1860. Chapter ten: Things is working -- Thursday, May 17, 1860. Chapter eleven: For want of tally sheets -- Overnight, Thursday, May 17, to Friday, May 18, 1860. Chapter twelve: Lincoln ain't here -- Friday, May 18, 1860. Chapter thirteen: Yonder goes Lincoln -- Chapter fourteen: The dirty-shirt ticket -- Saturday, May 19, 1860. Chapter fifteen: Six feet four -- Aftermath. Chapter sixteen: The people decide -- Epilogue: Unconscious instruments.
"The vivid, behind-the-scenes story of perhaps the most consequential political moment in America's history--Abraham Lincoln's epochal nomination as the Republican Party's candidate for president in 1860. 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, New York Senator William Seward was the overwhelming favorite for the presidential nomination, with Salmon Chase and Edward Bates in the running. Few thought Lincoln stood a chance--though Illinois 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 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, Achorn brings alive arguably the most important political turning point in our 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. 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"-- Provided by publisher.