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The Heartland Institute’s Tim Benson is joined by author Ted Widmer to talk about his new book, Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington. They talk about the crisis point the United States had reached in the time between Lincoln’s election and his journey to Washington, D.C. for his inaugural, and how Lincoln’s journey, in a way, compares to the journey of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey.
Benson and Widmer also talk about the many speeches Lincoln makes on his journey, as well as myriad other travails, and how Lincoln’s arrival in Washington and his inaugural really signify the first victory of the Union against the forces of secession. Further, they discuss the importance of Euclid, the Founders (George Washington especially), and the Declaration of Independence in the formulation of Lincoln’s political thought and his conception of the American nation.
Get the book here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lincol…781476739434
Show Notes
C-SPAN: Lincoln on the Verge
www.c-span.org/video/?471982-1/lincoln-verge
The Guardian: ‘What it means to be an American’: Abraham Lincoln and a nation divided
www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/…idmer-interview
Wall Street Journal: ‘Lincoln on the Verge’ Review: Odyssey to the Inaugural
www.wsj.com/articles/lincoln-on…augural-11589578200
Washington Post: The train ride that brought Lincoln to D.C. — and introduced him to the nation
www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/the-t…8a_story.html
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth: Lincoln on the Verge with Ted Widmer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMZAiGE6KWU
