Lincoln: Man or Myth

Thursday night's class focused on the belief structure that created Lincoln politically. We discussed the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to his interpretation of man's moral obligations and what the United States should be. We worked through the thorny dichotomy of his racist public pronouncements and his vehement opposition to slavery. While many thought his soft on slavery because of his views on the inferiority of Blacks, he campaigned under the slogan that "If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong"...seems like he was pretty explicit during a time when slavery was the most contentious issue of the time. Think the abortion debate and multiply the intensity by 100X. I probably talked too much tonight, but will try to provide more opportunities for the class members at the end of class next week.