The Fiery Trial Book Review
Anthony Romanelli
Dr. Clemons
AMH2020 9:05-9:55 AM
“The Fiery Trial” Book Review "By the time Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, he addressed a divided nation" (Ch. 5 pg. 164). The United States was going through hard times of dealing with slavery in the 1800’s. Slavery was the hot topic in politics of that time period just as the debate over abortion or gay marriage is today. The issue over slavery really grew in the early 1860’s; around the time President Abraham Lincoln took office. Lincoln became president and kept his own personal beliefs about slavery to himself. As his career as president progressed, he embraced the beliefs of Henry Clay and made it clear to everyone how he felt about slavery. The authors purpose to write this book is not as a biography of Lincoln, but it is to take a close look at his relationship with slavery. It is more of a discussion about the personal beliefs of Lincoln that led him to gain the nickname the Great Emancipator. “The Fiery Trial,” written by Eric Foner, is a non-fiction book about Abraham Lincoln and slavery in the U.S. The author looks at Lincoln’s attitudes and ideas toward slavery from his early life up until he signed the Emancipation Proclamation and more so. This book takes an interesting look at Lincoln’s career, mainly his speeches made regarding slavery and his public life while in office. Foner starts the book off with Abraham Lincoln’s early life, leading up to how his early childhood may have affected the way he viewed slavery later on in life and other topics of the time when he was in office. The author does a good job at showing how Lincoln’s thoughts and actions towards slavery and such changed over time. Personal growth is the theme for this book because Lincoln eventually came to a conclusion that it would take millions of people and many years of civil unrest to come to the result of blacks are the same as whites and deserve the same undisputable rights. Eric Foner has a wide
Dr. Clemons
AMH2020 9:05-9:55 AM
“The Fiery Trial” Book Review "By the time Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, he addressed a divided nation" (Ch. 5 pg. 164). The United States was going through hard times of dealing with slavery in the 1800’s. Slavery was the hot topic in politics of that time period just as the debate over abortion or gay marriage is today. The issue over slavery really grew in the early 1860’s; around the time President Abraham Lincoln took office. Lincoln became president and kept his own personal beliefs about slavery to himself. As his career as president progressed, he embraced the beliefs of Henry Clay and made it clear to everyone how he felt about slavery. The authors purpose to write this book is not as a biography of Lincoln, but it is to take a close look at his relationship with slavery. It is more of a discussion about the personal beliefs of Lincoln that led him to gain the nickname the Great Emancipator. “The Fiery Trial,” written by Eric Foner, is a non-fiction book about Abraham Lincoln and slavery in the U.S. The author looks at Lincoln’s attitudes and ideas toward slavery from his early life up until he signed the Emancipation Proclamation and more so. This book takes an interesting look at Lincoln’s career, mainly his speeches made regarding slavery and his public life while in office. Foner starts the book off with Abraham Lincoln’s early life, leading up to how his early childhood may have affected the way he viewed slavery later on in life and other topics of the time when he was in office. The author does a good job at showing how Lincoln’s thoughts and actions towards slavery and such changed over time. Personal growth is the theme for this book because Lincoln eventually came to a conclusion that it would take millions of people and many years of civil unrest to come to the result of blacks are the same as whites and deserve the same undisputable rights. Eric Foner has a wide
References: "By the time Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, he addressed a divided nation" (Ch. 5 pg. 164). "Two months after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, one abolitionist wrote that 'to make the proclamation a success, we must make freedom a blessing to the freed. ' The question of how to do so would long outlive Lincoln and the Civil War" (Epilogue, p. 361).