[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.I have found somepeace and comfort in admitting that I cannot possibly read them all.WhenI first came to work here in 1996, I read mostly complete biographies, theones that always begin on February 12, 1809, and end on April 15, 1865.Afterfinishing several of these, I could then allow myself the luxury of delvinginto more specific areas of Lincoln s life: his faith, his oratorical skills, hispolitical development, and, especially, the evolution of his character.Hav-ing grown up in Illinois, I am naturally attracted to the study of his time inNew Salem and Springfield.Being fascinated by the general topic of politicaltheory, I enjoy studying his views on our Founding Fathers, the Declarationof Independence, and the Constitution.I believe that it is poor history to take any historical figure out of thecontext of his or her era, so I try to maintain a study of the nineteenth cen-tury.The social movements, the story of the evolution of political partiesof the time, and the growing national debate over slavery are particularlyfascinating.As far as political parties are concerned, I plan at some pointto either write an article or present a program entitled Mugwumps, KnowNothings, and Loco Focos: Who Were They? Should We Care? At the Lincoln Museum, we have an opportunity each day to watch asvisitors, both children and adults, experience the reality of Lincoln s placein history.I have learned that, as public schools increasingly deemphasizesuch subjects as history, it is imperative that those of us who care about suchthings must somehow pick up the torch.Just as Lincoln s mystic chords ofmemory echoed back to the Founders, so our own memories must be ex-panded to include New Salem, Gettysburg, and Ford s Theatre.I feel so veryprivileged to be in a position to share those memories.31 5 doris kearns goodwinTransforming Foes to Allies:The Political Alchemy of Lincolnhave often been asked what brought me to focus on Lincoln s relation-Iship with his colleagues in the cabinet that fascinating, unruly cast ofcharacters who, together with Lincoln, made up the official circle that wonthe war, saved the Union, and ended the curse of slavery.1The answer is contained in the slow evolution of my research and writ-ing over a ten-year period.I had originally thought I would concentrate onAbraham and Mary Lincoln s relationship during the White House years,much as I had focused on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt on the home frontin World War II.I suspect I was searching for a familiar handle on which tolean as I entered what was for me an unknown world.I have always found itdifficult to shift focus from one president to the next.Attachments developover the many years it takes me to complete my biographies.Indeed, mystudy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and the home front in World War IItook longer to write than the war took to be fought! The lengthy time spentin research, however, produces a growing confidence that I have come toknow my subjects and their times.This confidence is shattered as each newfigure requires starting over.The shift to Lincoln was the most difficult ofall, for it meant moving back to the nineteenth century, leaving behind theknowledge I had acquired of the twentieth century through my studies ofFDR, JFK, and LBJ.So the thought of focusing on Mary and Abe brought adegree of discomfort in the early stages of the research.I soon came to realize, however, that Mary could not carry the weight ofthe public story as Eleanor could.Having played a pivotal role in so manyaspects of the home front, Eleanor was present at the events I wanted tocover in a way Mary was not.Moreover, I came to understand that Lincolnwas more intimately married to several key members of his cabinet thanto Mary in terms of the time he spent with them during the day, the long,anxious hours in the evenings waiting for the telegraph to report news fromthe battlefront, the moments of relaxation shared, the stories told, and therange of emotions expressed.32 Transforming Foes to AlliesBy focusing on Lincoln s relationship with his colleagues in his cabinet bybringing individual members on and off center stage as their areas of respon-sibility came into and out of the spotlight I hoped to provide a fresh anglefor the narrative tale of Lincoln s presidency, to tell the familiar story in adifferent way.Thus, Secretary of State William Henry Seward would sharecenter stage with Lincoln during the tumultuous transition period betweenthe election and the inauguration, during the diplomatic negotiations withBritain and France over recognition of the Confederacy, and during the Trentcrisis.Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase would assume the limelight whenquestions arose over the financing of the war, the issuance of governmentbonds, and the circulation of greenbacks.Edward Bates would make his ap-pearances when legal issues were raised over the suspension of habeas corpusand the Emancipation Proclamation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]