The author James McPherson is a renowned scholar as well as a civil war writer from the University of Princeton. The book comprises of seven essays, most of them were written and given in lecture sessions in the years before the book was published in the year 1991. The articles shows how the civil war was a key factor that resulted in the American second Revolution. From the book, the reader can understand that the war played a significant part in slavery abolition. More so, it affected the social status standard that existed concerning economic together with a political imbalance which were there at that time. The book fails to mention the innovations that existed and might have played a part in the revolution. The main focus of the entire book comprising of essays handpicked by the author himself is on liberty which was a fundamental issue. It further highlights how the underlying problem of freedom was dealt with by President Lincoln’s leadership.
The book reflects how the idea of liberty for all was conceived in the mind of Abraham Lincoln and how by using wisdom and authentic leadership, he was able to achieve this. According to the author, the main aim of the civil war was to bring liberty as well as to ensure the extension of rights and protection to citizens. The main themes at that time were the how Lincoln undertook his responsibilities as the United States’ president, as a politician as well as the commander in chief of the forces who applied his skills to establish a national strategy that in the long run, resulted in victory. The writer also highlights the significance of the oratory together with rhetoric skills. Through a specific application of the language styles, McPherson was able to convey the importance of the civil war and also to teach the Americans what liberty will mean to the citizens in the north. Each of the seven essays aims to address aspects of the 2 nd revolution in different ways. The first, as well as the last articles, focus on the destructive effects of the war. The other essays in between evaluate the leadership of Abraham Lincoln and how his particular traits brought the necessary changes.
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Chapter one of the book is titled "The Second American Revolution", which starts at the beginning of 1861 when there existed concerns on the emerging slave rebellions as well as secession in the south. There was a general acceptance of the possibility of war with bloodshed as a result of the changes in political landscape across the world and the how aggression together with violence was playing a vital role in bringing them. During this period, there was an actual push regarding the building of a free-labour nation. This comprised of taking the land as well as power from slave-owners before banishing them and allowing slaves the rights they are entitled to such as voting. Nevertheless, the author reminds the reader that the gains realised in the second revolution will in future be challenged by violence and aggression from the whites. McPherson further criticises the indifferences in the north that resulted in the loss of gained the upper hand in the fight against slavery.
The author then introduces to the reader president Abraham Lincoln together with his conservative ideologies. Lincoln is very cautious and is in favour of slowly incorporating changes without much disruption but with the possibility of long-term achievements. He does not compromise but hopes and believes in finding an agreement between the divided sides. Lincoln believed that a nation wholly divided would never stand. Nevertheless, Lincoln was a staunch supporter of revolution as well as the rights of citizens to change the fate of their politics. The author reiterates that the revolution was successful mostly because the leader in charge believed in the need for changes together with the right of the people to initiate a coup. The author also portrays Lincoln as a pragmatist, since he could do whatever was required to achieve the intended outcome.
The author also highlights the unique fondness Lincoln had for the term liberty as well as what it meant for his contemporaries. In this chapter, McPherson demonstrates to the reader how the president recognised how freedom meant bright things to various citizens, and that it was an issue they were all fighting to achieve for many different reasons, Lincoln was honest regarding the challenges of bringing together people who are so much divided. He wished for a more transparent, uniform meaning so that as individuals fight for liberty, they should have the same objective in mind. The author also notes that despite Abraham Lincoln being a friendly leader, he was also a wartime leader, he conducted his roles as the commander-in-chief seriously. Lincoln directly participated in military missions as well as shaping strategies when the need arose. This level of participation was ultimately a revolution.
In this chapter, McPherson brings to the attention of the reader that the most critical trait of President Lincoln was his clear, concise and convincing speech making individuals on both sides pay attention to him and in turn agree among themselves. This helped followers as well as motivating them to accomplish what they were planning for. His unique charisma was another reason that resulted in his eventual success. It is clear that the main issues which Abraham Lincoln fought for will never become obsolete in the society we reside in today. The problems were foundations of humanity; they included the nature of nationalism, issues of leadership in peace as well as war, meaning and importance of freedom, the victories and adversities of the revolution, the dimension as well as the restrictions of democracy in governance and liberty.
This book is highly recommended for any reader who wishes to understand how the American civil war brought a lot of changes in the U.S. For example, and the war resulted in changes in the social structure of the states in the south. The book has highlighted how the war has a unique position in the history of the nation as well as the whole world as a significant event that was characterized by redefining the composition of power and how any leader is able to strategically apply the instruments and tools of power to initiate social as well as political changes to benefit other citizens. It is clear from the seven essays in this book that civil war eventually gave the term liberty a new meaning. It also highlights the fact that the federal government in the country assumed the role of acting as an agent to freedom and not the enemy of liberty.
