Abraham Lincoln’s Convention: Chicago 1860, compiled and presented by OFW Law’s very own Kenneth D. Ackerman, is now available! An eBook original and part of a series called History Shorts/Original Voices, it tells the story of Lincoln’s surprise nomination primarily through the eyes of newspaper writers, giving it the immediacy of the moment, with annotations, background, and updated formatting.
Every president is shaped by his nominating convention. Lincoln’s in 1860 not only was one of the most important, but also the most exciting in America up to that point. In a three day, three-ballot carnival of music, fireworks, and politics drawing some 40,000 people, Lincoln and his friends outwitted the leading celebrities of their party, capturing the prize with nerve, ambition, and brass tacks. They played the kind of hardball politics that usually made reformers cringe. Still, it gave us one of the best presidents in American History.
To check out Ken’s Viral History Blog, click here.
