Book Review: The Lincoln Miracle by Edward Achorn

September 5, 2024

About:

The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History by Edward Achorn tells of the 1860 convention, where Abraham Lincoln was nominated by the Republican Party for president. His nomination was in no means guaranteed, and this consequential decision came as a surprise.

Book Review: The Lincoln Miracle by Edward Achorn
My rating for The Lincoln Miracle5
Buy The Lincoln Miracle from Amazon.com*
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About:

This book tells in great detail, day by day, action by action of the work to maneuver Republican delegates into voting for Lincoln instead of U.S. Sen. William H. Seward. Seward was more qualified than Abraham Lincoln for the position, a prominent figure, former governor of New York, and ally with political boss Thurlow Weed. Seward, however, suggested that there was a “higher law than the Constitution” when it came to slavery.

While a book about a political convention seems like a bore-fest, The Lincoln Miracle by Edward Achorn is exciting as it is informative. The machination and maneuvering of electing a candidate, from the many who ran (which worked in Lincoln’s favor) are electrifying and mesmerizing.

The author puts the Republican convention into the context of the national battle against slavery. The context doesn’t start, or stop, at the convention. Politics are local, and the local disputes shaped the nomination.

By using quotes from respectable and influential people of the era, such as Horace Greely (newspaper editor), and “Long” John Wentworth (Chicago mayor) Mr. Achorn puts the focus on the participants, not just Lincoln. I do wish, however, that he’d trimmed the quotes to their essential meaning.

The book gave me a thorough understanding, and a window to look through, of a crucial week in the history of the United States and the Republican Party. I realized that Lincoln’s nomination was a revolution within the party, but I underestimated how riveting it all was.

Buy The Lincoln Miracle from Amazon.com*
More Books by Edward Achorn*

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer:I bought this book.
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books

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The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History by Edward Achorn
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Wrap Up

The Lincoln Miracle: Inside the Republican Convention That Changed History by Edward Achorn

Book Review: The Lincoln Miracle by Edward Achorn

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