Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President

Front Cover
University Press of Kentucky, Oct 12, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 288 pages

In the more than 140 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America's most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect—personal and professional—of the president's life.

In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth president. These inaccuracies and speculations about Lincoln's personal and professional life abound. Did he write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did Lincoln appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was he an illegitimate child? Did Lincoln have romantic encounters with women other than his wife? Did he have love affairs with men? What really happened in the weeks leading up to April 14, 1865, and in the aftermath of Lincoln's tragic assassination?

Lincoln Legends evaluates the evidence on all sides of the many heated debates about the Great Emancipator. Not only does Steers weigh the merits of all relevant arguments and interpretations, but he also traces the often fascinating evolution of flawed theories about Lincoln and uncovers the motivations of the individuals—occasionally sincere but more often cynical, self-serving, and nefarious—who are responsible for their dispersal.

Based on extensive primary research, the conclusions in Lincoln Legends will settle many of the enduring questions and persistent myths about Lincoln's life once and for all. Steers leaves us with a clearer image of Abraham Lincoln as a man, as an exceptionally effective president, and as a deserving recipient of the nation's admiration.

From inside the book

Contents

1 The Birthplace Cabin
1
2 Lincolns Father
14
3 Abe and Ann
29
4 Ann Rutledges Resting Place
51
5 Was Lincoln Baptized?
60
6 The Mole in the White House
80
7 You Can Fool All of the People Some of the Time
89
8 The World Will Little Note
102
10 The Gay Lincoln Myth
125
11 Noble American or Deceptive Doctor?
150
12 The Missing Pages from Booths Diary
177
13 Peanut John
203
14 The Man Who Never Was
214
Notes
231
Index
255
Copyright

9 THe Lost Draft of the Gettysburg Address
115

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About the author (2007)

Edward Steers Jr. is the author of numerous books including Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President, and The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

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