Some Chronology and historical background:

• Humble beginnings
  • lost his mother at a young age
  • father wasn’t very well educated / worked manual labor jobs and they never had much money.
  • Didn’t have access to public schooling so he educated himself by constantly re-reading the few books that he had access to. Mostly the bible, Shakespeare, and a few classic literary works.
  • His stepmother was a strong influence on his mental development
• went to law school / Practiced Law on the local court circuit
  • Had very little money and shared a room AND BED with Joshua Speed. They became very close friends as they spent much time together for those years
• Was elected to Illinois State Legislature 1834 – 1842
• Initially lost the race for Illinois congressional seat in 1843 but was victorious in 1846
• Practiced law in Springfield from 1853 – 1860
• Lincoln loses close race for US senate to rival Stephen Douglas in 1858
• in 1860 Lincoln delivers Cooper Union speech proclaiming the founding fathers repeatedly tried to restrict slavery and it should not be expanded into new territories.

• Ran for president in relative obscurity but his speeches helped him gain popularity nationally. It was expected that long time well established NY governor William Seward would win the republican ticket. Lincoln ultimately prevailed as he was able to understand it was best to hold a moderate position with slavery. Campaigning to stop the spread of slavery rather than to abolish it all together. Know that this position would help him win support in boarder states and more moderate republicans.
  • based his opinions on slavery in the constitution and declaration of independence
  • He struck a balance by promoting that slavery should not expand but was careful not to infringe on southern states current rights.
• Lincoln’s main objective and the key to his successful presidency was to assemble the strongest cabinet possible. He had few allies in Washington and not much experience. Per the title of the book these were also his political rivals. Many of the cabinet members he ran against in the republican primary.
  • Story about sending word that Chase was head of the treasury before he accepted
• Given his relative lack of experience he knew he would need to lean on some of the more experienced cabinet members to navigate the difficult times ahead.
• This cabinet was the opposite of yes men or an echo chamber. He knew that his cabinets input was necessary if he were to have a successful presidency. He also knew his cabinet would not always agree with him and there would frequently be debates. They also had strong influence in Washington he would need to accomplish his initiatives.  Whenever he called a cabinet meeting he would not move forward with a proposal unless he had some support from at least one of his advisors letting him know his thinking was sound. There were times he had no support and he went back to the drawing board.
• It was assumed that Lincoln was not capable, especially early on in his tenure. He was dubbed a dumb “rail splitter” given his lack of pedigree compared to most of Washington. It was often said that Seward was “pulling the strings.” The public opinion remained that way to some degree throughout his first term, but he soon won over the hearts and minds of Seward, Bates, Welles and Cameron and the nation. Salmon Chase (Secretary of Treasury) was always critical of Lincoln as he had a strong desire for the presidency.  Lincoln was able to maneuver the relationship to leverage his expertise. Despite Chase oftentimes undermining his efforts and talking behind his back, Lincoln knew he was a valuable force and even nominated him as chief justice of the supreme court during his second term.
• Lincoln oftentimes shouldered the blame when things went poorly even if it wasn’t his fault. Early on in the war he was frustrated with General George McClellan’s inaction in running military campaigns early in the war, but never publicly cast blame on him and remained calm with his peers even though the war got off to a rocky start for the north.
• He didn’t hold grudges. He understood to value his rivals minds and expertise and didn’t get upset if they belittled him. When Lincoln first met the man who would later become his war secretary, Edward Stanton, it is reported Stanton was rude to him. Stanton told Lincoln his services were not needed. Instead of returning home and holding a grudge, Lincoln stayed and witnessed Stanton’s arguments in court which he found to be quite impressive and likely beyond his capabilities at the time.
• He understood the strengths and weaknesses of his cabinet and advisors. He knew when to throw them a proverbial bone if their patience was running thin, but also when to push back with grace if he knew they were wrong. Many times he would back up his positioning by referencing historical references like the declaration of independence.
• If Lincoln was short with somebody or his patience ran thin and he said something he didn’t mean, he would typically apologize and make it right.
• On more difficult matters Lincoln would often write letters that he would ultimately never send.
• Lincoln was a master of compromise and consensus-building. Whenever facing a challenging situation or an argument between two parties, he always took his time to hear out the people involved and listen to what the problem is. He was very tactful in finding solutions that did not alienate people or create enemies while  also furthering what he thought was the right decision.
• Lincoln also had an incredible sense for when to make important political moves. For instance, the emancipation proclamation. The Union was having trouble early in the war partially due to poor military leadership but also partially due to the souths advantage of having slave labor. Lincoln understood if he freed slaves he could also use that as a time to allow blacks to serve in the union army. He waited to announce this controversial measure until Union secured several victories. He did this as he was mindful that if the measure was unpopular and not well received by the public they could lose mid term elections and if the democrats gained majority they could move for peace negotiations allowing slavery to continue.
• He was an excellent communicator – this stemmed from early in his childhood when he would listen to his father tell stories and talk with friends and Lincoln would think about the adult conversations and rehash them until he understood them fully. In his speeches or addresses he would oftentimes make references to stories from his childhood in the mid west or well known literature like the Bible or Shakespeare to make his points more relatable.
• Lincoln also made sure to spend time with his friends, family, and pursuing activities he enjoyed. He spent many evenings visiting with Seward at his home trading stories and telling jokes late into the night. His children were also oftentimes found in the white house in important meetings. He also spent a lot of time in the theatre to take his mind off of the task at hand which was keeping the union together