Lincoln Before Washington: New Perspectives on the Illinois Years

The provocative selections in this book address topics as disparate as William H. Herndon's informants, Lincoln's favorite poem, his mysterious broken engagement, the text of his debates with Douglas, and a previously unknown assault on Peter Cartwright. Although Abraham Lincoln's early years have come to be regarded as the wrong end of his life, Douglas L. Wilson's original and pathbreaking work makes the case that his prepresidential years offer bright prospects for investigation. Collectively, these essays challenge the general view of Lincoln scholars that William H. Herndon, Lincoln's law partner, is an unreliable source. They also provide a fresh look at some of the affinities between Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.