Summary Of Lincoln A Life Of Purpose And Power By Richard Carwardine

Many Americans are still fascinated with the life of the sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power, by Richard Carwardine is a prize winning biography that discusses Lincoln’s political career. His study focuses on Lincoln’s career from when he began in the Illinois Legislature all the way up until his presidential election including his time in the White House. Carwardine provides an in depth look at Lincoln’s philosophy, both moral and political as well as his ambition. Carwardine’s goal in writing the biography is to discover and explain in depth the roots of Lincoln’s power. He discusses what leads to Lincoln’s power in a chronological sequence throughout his political career. He focuses on three main

His religious background was learned from his parents and was Baptist in nature. While in the beginning it appeared that Lincoln’s personal faith or religious belief were not known, however “over the years Lincoln was a growing man in religion, advancing from religious skepticism to serious Christian inquiry in the White House” (Carwardine 33). Carwardine looks into how religious movements at that time may have influenced Lincoln, but shows that ultimately Lincoln had to decide on his own beliefs which helped shape his

Carwardine’s conclusion is an accurate examination of Lincoln’s impact and legacy following his death.

Strengths:

Carwardine’s research on Lincoln was very detailed and showed who Lincoln was, what he stood for and what drove him politically. When beginning this book I was hoping to find out what influenced Lincoln throughout his political career. Carwardine does a great job at going into detail at what exactly did that for Lincoln. He does not just talk about historical facts; he includes more of Lincoln’s personal ambitions and morals that shaped both his character and his political views. These values were also part of his vision of America as a nation. Carwardine makes it apparent that Abraham Lincoln understood the times and the people he worked for in order to make the nation better. In the end, he describes Lincoln by saying “his course as President was shaped not by impulsive, self-aggrandizing action or self-righteousness, but by deep thought, breadth of vision, careful concern for consequences, and a remarkable lack of pride” (Carwardine