Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President

Harold Holzer's book on Abraham Lincoln's speech at Cooper Union gives a clarity to the importance of that speech and how it affected Lincoln as a speaker, politican and future candidate for his Republican Party. While Lincoln was well known among the western states, he wasn't that well regarded along the northeastern seaboard. One of the most important things about the book was how the author explained how this speech gave Lincoln so much creditability among the easterners and how that speech firmly put Lincoln on the political map national wide. This helped pave the way for Lincoln's nomination when others were looking for alternative choices beside William Seward who was at that time, the leading Republican front runner. The book proves to be quite informative. Abraham Lincoln is obviously one person you cannot judge by your first impression. The author throughly explained the mannerism of Lincoln's speech skills and the way it contrast to his physical appearances which often led to initial misgiving by the audience before they roared in their approval at the end of the speech. Its pretty clear that Mr. Holzer have complete command of his subject matter which is reflected on the superb writing and ease of reading material that only an expert can do to any subject. The book appears to be well researched and it was about time that a book on this subject came out (I think the last book about this speech came out before Mr. Holzer was born). I would considered this book to be a mandatory reading material for anyone interested in Abraham Lincoln and probably a good background material for anyone interested in the coming of the American Civil War.

This excellent book, by Harold Holzer, sheds light on the speech that may well have launched Lincoln towards the Republican nomination for president in 1860. In the fall of 1859, Lincoln had received an invitation to speak at the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, NY. After negotiations about the most convenient date, it was agreed that Lincoln would speak in February 1860 for a fee of $200.00. He made the long, arduous trip from Springfield, IL, and when he arrived in New York, he discovered that the speech was going to take place in Manhattan at Cooper Union (the organizers had overlooked informing him of this change). He had an ill fitting, rumpled suit that was packed in a trunk. Prior to the speech, he went to Matthew Brady's studio, and through photographic wizardry, Brady made Lincoln appear distinguished looking although he was actually ungainly and he was wearing that suit. Because he seemed so presidential in the photo, it was used in campaign literature and was widely distrubuted, often with artistic variations. That night, when he appeared on the stage, people were shocked at the awkward looking presence before them. He got up to speak and he started in sort of a frontier accent (some reports state that he opened by saying "Mr. Cheerman."). Before long, however, he had the audience enraptured. The first part of the speech was a well researched, scholarly exposition on whether the Constitution authorized the federal government to regulate slavery in the territories. By demonstrating that many signers of the Constitution who later served in Congress voted for such regulations (such as in the Northwest Territories) he argued forcefully that their understanding was that the Constitution did allow it. Thus, if we look to the intention of the fathers as Stephen Douglas had suggested in an earlier periodical article, such regulation is permissible. Therefore, with his exhaustive research, he basically hung Douglas by his own pitard by adopting Douglas's standard of analysis. He also spoke to the southern states; of course this was a rhetorical device since his intended "audience" was not present. Finally, he rallied the Republican party. The speech was a huge success and it took place in the Republican frontrunner's (Senator William Seward) home state of New York. The speech was widely published and distributed. Furthermore, Lincoln travelled to New Hampshire to visit his son Robert who was attending school there, and while on the road, Lincoln delivered variant's of the speech several more times. The speech brought Lincoln to national prominence and, since it was considered unseemly for presidential candidates to actually campaign back then, the speech, the additional speeches in New England, and the printed copies basically served as his only active campaign. This book is well written and extraordinarilly captivating for any reader who is interested in Lincoln or the Civil War era. In addition, Holzer includes the text of the speech in an app

Holzer provides a fascinating view of Lincoln's important Eastern "coming out" which ultimately led to him becoming president. The narrative is clear; the research is thorough; and the analysis is first rate. Books of this type are often painfully dry; however, the author relates the history and provides his analysis in an easy and compelling manner. It's not a Grisham thriller, but you will keep reading until the end. While the Cooper Union speech doesn't reach the emotional heights of the Gettysburg Address or the Second Inaugural speech, it is still masterful rhetoric that achieves all of its key goals - shoot down Douglas' arguement against federal authority to limit the expansion of slavery to the territories; provide a unifying theme for the Republican party; and, allow Lincoln to present himself as a leading spokesman for the new party. It's not clear if Lincoln seriously entertained pursuit of the presidential nomination prior to the speech, but the overwhelmingly positive reaction to it either prompted him to consider it, or removed any lingering reluctance he had. Holzer's account is in three logical parts - the setup (how Lincoln was invited to speak, the preparation for the speaking engagement itself; and the preparation of the speech); the speech itself; and, the aftermath which led up to him becoming president. In addition to descriptions of the events surrounding the speech, the book provides an excellent discussion of the context of the circumstances and insight into its meaning. Holzer provides a good overview of the rhetorical devices as well as the logic used by Lincoln so that the reader learns why the speech was so effective.

Harold Holzer's new book further cements Lincoln's reputation as the United States' greatest president. Lincoln's speech at Cooper Union in New York City early in 1860 was designed as a rebuttal to Stephen A. Douglas's doctrine of Popular Sovereignty, which would have allowed the spread of slavery into the territories. It was also meant to define the Republican Party and, by extension, Lincoln himself, countering the South's contention that the Republicans were nothing more than a sectional party. Holzer does a masterful job in relating Lincoln's research in crafting the Cooper Union speech, the long, tiring journey from Illinois to New York, his performance, and the long, winding trip back to Springfield. Holzer's book will stand for quite some time as the definitive study of "The Speech that Made Lincoln President".

Harold Holzer's excellent analysis of the Cooper Union speech is a model of historical and rhetorical scholarship. Written with clarity and unpretentiousness, it offers a wonderful view of the political world of 1859-1860, of Lincoln as a would-be candidate for president seeking to make his first big venture in the East, of the turbulent and anti-Republican metropolis of New York City, of the ordeal of railroad travel, of the growing power of photographic images in politics, and of the interactions of newspapers and politics. Holzer more than proves his case that the Cooper Union speech was vital to making Lincoln President, and that it was one of his greatest and most intellectually formidable speeches. Highly recommended as a book that belongs with Garry Wills's LINCOLN AT GETTYSBURG and Ronald White's LINCOLN'S GREATEST SPEECH: THE SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. Now if Holzer would only tackle Lincoln's First Inaugural Address and his 1838 Young Men's Lyceum speech in the same way....