The radical and the Republican : Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the triumph of antislavery politics

479 Pages·2007·1.56 MB·English

by  Oakes

Further praise for The Radical and the Republican
“[A] fine new account of Lincoln’s friendship with Frederick Douglass.”
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker
“Extremely insightful…. The Radical and the Republican should be read by all
people who wish to understand reform and the nature of change in the Civil War
era and the two men who played such indispensable roles in emancipating not
only the slaves but much of the country from the scourge of slavery.”
—Phillip Shaw Paludan, Civil War Book Review
“An eye-opening and absorbing account of the relationship between Lincoln and
Douglass.”
—Chuck Leddy, Christian Science Monitor
“Studded with telling quotes from both men and comes to conclusions that are
often really far reaching.”
—Michael P. Riccards, Washington Times
“Compelling…. A fresh and fascinating look at the lives of these two pivotal
players during the Civil War. This book makes a substantial and singular
contribution to the literature…. The author has taken a complicated tale and
made it understandable and accessible to the reader without being patronizing.”
—James A. Percoco, Civil War News
“A sharp analysis by Oakes of how Lincoln the politician and Douglass the
reformer worked, separately and together, to abolish slavery in America.
Oakes’s narrative focuses on the fascinating symbiosis between these two highly
public men…but it’s also a brilliant meditation on the timeless, crucial roles
played by the radical and the politician to resolve any public issue.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Oakes brilliantly follows the choreography by which Lincoln and Douglass,
‘both uncommonly intelligent,’ moved from a position of mutual
incomprehension to one of mutual admiration and respect, one great man taking
the measure of another great man.”
—Garry Wills, author of Lincoln at Gettysburg
“James Oakes has an uncanny feel for how American politics actually worked in
the Civil War era. His beautifully carved gem of a book rescues Abraham
Lincoln and Frederick Douglass from the smugness of posterity—and forcefully
explains how radicalism and mainstream party politics converged to overthrow
American slavery.”
—Sean Wilentz, Princeton University, author of The Rise of American
Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
“James Oakes’ absorbing story of two familiar American heroes—Frederick
Douglass and Abraham Lincoln—resonates with new perceptions and insights.
This is a great American tale told with a deft historical eye, painstaking analysis
and a supple clarity of writing. The Radical and the Republican is a significant
book that should be read by all Americans.”
—Jean H. Baker, author of Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography
“Here they are, with equal billing, two of America’s master politicians,
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. They made history back in those
quaint days when, occasionally, politicians acted with both character and
courage. James Oakes has given us a bracing book.”
—William S. McFeely, author of Frederick Douglass
THE RADICAL AND THE REPUBLICAN
A J O
LSO BY AMES AKES
Slavery and Freedom:
An Interpretation of the Old South
The Ruling Race:
A History of American Slaveholders
THE RADICAL AND THE REPUBLICAN
F D A L T A P
REDERICK OUGLASS, BRAHAM INCOLN, AND THE RIUMPH OF NTISLAVERY OLITICS
James Oakes
W. W. Norton & Company
New York London
Copyright © 2007 by James Oakes
All rights reserved
First published as a Norton paperback 2008
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write
to Permissions, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10110
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Oakes, James.
The radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the
triumph of antislavery politics / James Oakes.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN: 978-0-393-07872-5
1. Douglass, Frederick, 1818–1895. 2. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809–1865. 3. African
American abolitionists—Biography. 4. Presidents—United States—Biography.
5. Slavery—Political aspects—United States—History—19th century. 6.
Antislavery movements—United States—History—19th century. 7. United
States—Politics and government—1861–1865. 8. United States—Politics and
government—1857–1861. 9. United States—Race relations—History—19th
century. 10. Friendship—United States—Case studies. I. Title.
E449.D75015 2007
973.7'1140922—dc22 2006032215
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110
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W.W. Norton & Company Ltd.
Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT
For our son,
D A O
ANIEL GUSTÍN AKES
CONTENTS
Abbreviations
Introduction
1
“I Won’t Stop Until I Reach the United States Senate”
2
“I Have Always Hated Slavery”
3
“I Cannot Support Lincoln”
4
“This Thunderbolt Will Keep”
5
“We Must Free the Slaves or Be Ourselves Subdued”
6
“My Friend Douglass”
7
“Had Lincoln Lived…”
For Further Reading
Acknowledgments
ABBREVIATIONS
CW Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (New
Brunswick, N.J., 1953–)
FDP John W. Blassingame, John R. McKivigan, and Peter Hinks, eds., The
Frederick Douglass Papers (New Haven, 1979–)
HI Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis, eds., Herndon’s Informants:
Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln (Urbana
and Chicago, 1998).
Life & Philip S. Foner, ed., The Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass
Writings(New York, 1950–)
RW Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher, compilers and eds.,
Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln (Stanford, Calif., 1996)