Lincoln Legends

Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President

Edward Steers

• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780813124667
• eBook ISBN: 9780813136974
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: History

"Succinctly and eloquently debunks 14 popular myths about the Great Emancipator's life and death [with] solid documentation." — Publishers Weekly
 
In the more than 150 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America's most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect? personal and professional ?of the president's life.
 
In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth president. Did he write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did he appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was he an illegitimate child? Did he have romantic encounters with women other than his wife—or love affairs with men? What really happened in the weeks leading up to April 14, 1865, and in the aftermath of Lincoln;s tragic assassination? Lincoln Legends evaluates the evidence on all sides of the many heated debates about the Great Emancipator, and also traces the often fascinating evolution of flawed theories about Lincoln and the motivations of the individuals?occasionally sincere but more often cynical, self-serving, and nefarious?who are responsible for their dispersal. Based on extensive primary research, Lincoln Legends will settle many of the enduring questions and persistent myths about Lincoln's life once and for all.
 
"Fascinating reading." — Tucson Citizen

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowlegements
• Introduction
• Chapter One: The Birthplace Cabin
• Chapter Two: Lincoln's Father
• Chapter Three: Abe and Ann
• Chapter Four: Ann Rutledge's Resting Place
• Chapter Five: Was Lincoln Baptized?
• Chapter Six: The Mole in the White House
• Chapter Seven: You Can Fool All of the People Some of the Time…
• Chapter Eight: The World Will Little Note…
• Chapter Nine: The “Lost” Draft of the Gettysburg Address
• Chapter Ten: The Gay Lincoln Myth
• Chapter Eleven: Noble American or Deceptive Doctor?
• Chapter Twelve: The Missing Pages from Booth's Diary
• Chapter Thirteen: Peanut John
• Chapter Fourteen: The Man Who Never Was
• Notes
• Index