The Case of Abraham Lincoln A Story of Adultery, Murder, and the Making of a Great President

by Fenster, Julie M.; Brinkley, Douglas

• ISBN13: 9780230608092
• ISBN10: 0230608094
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-23
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

In 1856, Abraham Lincoln was at a personal crossroads. Often despondent, he had grown bored with his work as a lawyer. He was beginning to see himself as just a former Congressman, without much of a future in politics. Later that year, the gruesome murder of a Springfield blacksmith provided the case that defined Lincoln's legal career. The string of lurid revelations that followed the crime became front page news across the country, putting Lincoln back in the national spotlight. The Anderson case reflected the spirit of the times: an inescapable, dark world, hidden within the optimism and innocence of the young city of Springfield. With the Anderson murder, Lincoln's legal skills as a defender were challenged as never before and he was finally able to prove himself as a man with a great destiny.

Author Biography

Julie M. Fenster is the co-author (with Douglas Brinkley) of The New York Times bestseller Parish Priest. Her books include the award-winning Ether Day and Race of the Century. A regular contributor to American Heritage, Fenster has also written for The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Syracuse, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 9
Maps of Illinois and Springfield	p. 13
Foreword: Lincoln in His Element	p. 15
March, 1856: Like a Cathedral	p. 19
April: At the Anvil	p. 27
The Beginning of May: Stranger in the Yard	p. 39
Early May: Something About Strychnine	p. 49
May 15: The Old Man Went Out	p. 67
Mid-May: Excitement in the City	p. 79
Late May: An Old Battered Stovepipe Hat	p. 97
May 29: Major's Hall	p. 113
June: Summer Days	p. 135
July and August: The March of the What-Y'a-Call-Ems	p. 147
September: Boarding Men	p. 169
October and November: A Motive Equal to Murder	p. 193
November and Early December: The Best Hope of the Nation	p. 213
Afterword	p. 227
Notes	p. 229
Selected Bibliography	p. 247
Index	p. 251
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