Canada Snyder

Understanding Lincoln, Matthew Pinsker

Theme: Lincoln: The Great Communicator

References

Angle, P. M. (1981). Lincoln’s power with words. Papers of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 3, 8-27.

Retrieved September 7, 2013 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20148812

Angle begins describing Lincoln’s humble background and his lack of education. Angle

continues to explain who influenced Lincoln and that he avidly read newspapers. This text makes

the argument that Lincoln’s ability to use humor, logic and solemnity garnered fond appreciation

from his audiences. Lincoln also spoke often-up to one hundred times in 1856. Part of the

requirements of being a great communicator is empathy and an understanding of one’s audience;

Lincoln excelled at both.

Bates, D. H. (1907). Lincoln in the telegraph office: Recollections of the United States military telegraph

corps during the Civil War (1995 ed.). Omaha: University of Nebraska Press.

James A. Rawley, Carl Adolph Happold Professor Emeritus of history at the University of

Nebraska–Lincoln, introduces this reprinted 1995 primary source. David Bates worked from

1861-1866 as cipher operator and manager of the War Department’s telegraph office. According

to Bates, Lincoln was “most easy of access” and he often “talked to the cipher operators.” A

drawer on the cipher operator’s desk held the telegrams in chronological order where Lincoln sat

down to read them. Lincoln even read telegrams not addressed to him, but rather, addressed to

military leaders in the field; at times, Lincoln would interject and send his own telegram to these

military leaders. This text gives one a firsthand account of Lincoln in the telegraph office and

allows one to further understand Lincoln’s use of this “new” technology-especially in winning the

war as Wheeler suggests in his text (referenced below).

Boritt, G. (Ed.) (1996). Of the people, by the people, for the people. New York: Columbia University

Press.

A collection of Lincoln quotes exists precisely because Lincoln was a great communicator.

Although numerous sayings have been attributed to Lincoln throughout the years, this collection

has been reviewed by respected Lincoln biographer, David Donald.

Bradwell, J. B. (1895, September 13). Lincoln’s definition of democracy. New York Times.

This primary source explains the origins of Lincoln’s “definition of democracy” document

referenced below. Judge Bradwell was apparently asked by a reporter (no name provided) of the

New York Times to reflect on A. Lincoln. Bradwell had Lincoln’s hand-written “definition of

democracy.” Bradwell reflects on the definition and on Lincoln as a leader. This document

provides evidence of Lincoln as a great communicator because he sums up his belief in

democracy in a few, simple, compelling words.

Braden, W. W. (1988). Abraham Lincoln, Public speaker. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Braden makes a compelling argument in his introduction that Lincoln has often been lauded as a

“literary artist,” but overlooked as a great public speaker. Braden discusses Lincoln’s “rise to

greatness” (as opposed to his presidency). Braden believes it was because of Lincoln’s ability to

speak extemporaneously and Lincoln’s appeal to everyday audiences. Braden acknowledges

Lincoln became a great speech writer, but that his true beginnings as a public speaker started long

before his presidential years. Braden believes most historians have largely ignored this time of

Lincoln’s life and his text addresses it. Braden argues it was Lincoln’s rapport with “the good

people” that explain his great communication skills. Braden further discusses how Lincoln

attempted to control his image of a “common man,” or “simple man from humble beginnings,” in

order to appeal to mass audiences.

Bruce, R. V. (2011). Lincoln and the tools of war. Montana: Literary Licensing. Retrieved September 10,

2013 from www.amazon.com

While this text largely discusses armaments, arsenals, naval ships and new rifles, there are

references to Lincoln’s use of the telegraph for the war effort. Not surprisingly, Bruce discusses

some of the more “famous” telegrams of the war including his curt messages to General

McClellan and General Hooker (referenced below).

“Centuries of Citizenship.” National Constitution Center. Retrieved on October 12, 2013 from

http://constitutioncenter.org/timeline/html/cw05_12035.html

This image is of Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address and allows for one to see the thousands of

people who came out to hear this new Republican president after southern states had seceded,

creating the Confederate State of America.

“Civil War Trust.” Retrieved October 5, 2013 from www.civilwar.org

This website has everything one would want to know about the Civil War including what

happened “on this day” in Civil War history as well as preservation campaigns of Civil War

battlefields, photo contests and support for educators.

Fehrenbacher, D. E. (Ed.). (1964). Abraham Lincoln: A documentary portrait through his speeches and

writings. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.

This collection of primary source documents from 1832-1865 is a “one stop shop” where one is

able to find Lincoln’s speeches and writings for analysis. Fehrenbacher also provides contextual

details before each speech and writing included in the text. This is a great place to analyze

Lincoln’s speeches in regards to Lincoln as the “Great Communicator.”

Greeley, H. (August, 19, 1862). The prayer of the twenty millions. Retrieved September 19, 2013 from

http://www.civilwarhome.com/lincolngreeley.htm

Editor Horace Greeley wrote a pointed “letter” published in the New York Times to President

Lincoln “reminding” him to “execute the laws.” Specifically, Greeley was referencing the

“emancipating provisions of the new Confiscation Act.” Greeley stated Lincoln was “strangely

and disastrously remiss” for not enforcing the Confiscation Act, but what Greeley doesn’t know

is that Lincoln has already decided personally to free the slaves but is waiting for the right

military and political moment to do so (i.e. Emancipation Proclamation issued after Antietam).

The significance of this document includes Greeley “calling out” the president publicly but even

more importantly is Lincoln’s response, The Letter to Horace Greeley, referenced below.

Guelzo, A. C. (2008). Watch that finger! Raise those arms! Make your point! America’s Civil War. 21(1),

56-61. Retrieved September 6, 2013 from http://sks.sirs.com

The Lincoln Douglas debates were wildly popular and gained much attention; Guelzo explains

why. Douglas was a “hurricane of passion” while Lincoln was more subdued. Guelzo discusses

the physical differences between the two men and even includes their words per minute! Guelzo

also makes the case that Douglas didn’t have to take on the challenge of debating Lincoln; he was

already ahead in the polls, but decided to do so. Guelzo discusses the importance of the press,

particularly newspapers and the new method of quick communication, the telegraph. It is

interesting to note how different these two men were and how these debates became legendary.

Guelzo has won the Lincoln Prize and the Lincoln Institute Prize and teaches at Gettysburg

College.

Hochfelder, D. (2012). The telegraph in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Hochfelder discusses the history of the telegraph and analyzes its impact on history and society.

Hochfelder agrees with Tom Wheeler in how Lincoln’s effective use of the telegraph helped the

Union to win the war. Hochfelder focuses on its use during the Civil War, during Reconstruction,

the building of the transcontinental railroad, and into the twentieth century.

Holzer, H. (2006). Lincoln at Cooper Union: The speech that made Abraham Lincoln president. New

York: Simon & Schuster.

Holzer examines the Cooper Union speech arguing this speech clinched Lincoln’s nomination for

president by the Republican Party. Holzer asks the big questions of the speech: how did it propel

Lincoln into national popularity? What was it about this speech that made people cheer? This text

has significance because as Holzer states, Cooper Union has become one of Lincoln’s “most

famous speeches that no one today ever reads.” Holzer implies the Cooper Union speech is the

foundation of Lincoln as the Great Communicator! Holzer was awarded the Lincoln Prize and

the National Humanities Medal. He is also chairman of the Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and

has written over forty books on Lincoln.

Ingersoll, R. G. (1886). In A. T. Rice (Ed.), Reminisces of Abraham Lincoln by distinguished men of his

time (306-314). New York. Retrieved September 12, 2013 from

http://archive.org/stream/reminiscencesofa

This primary source was digitized by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through

Indiana State Library and it is a wonderful text! One can read about Lincoln from a variety of his

contemporaries. Robert Ingersoll stated, “Lincoln was not a type. He stands alone.” Ingersoll

continues, “Lincoln was a many sided man. …and his words gave perfect image to his thought.

…[H]e was an orator-clear, sincere, natural.” These statements by Ingersoll support Lincoln’s

uniqueness in being a great communicator.

“James Buchanan’s Presidential Senioritis.” Constitution Daily. Retrieved October 5, 2013 from

http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2012/01/james-buchanans-presidential-senioritis/

This website is the blog of the National Constitution Center and offers ‘smart commentary and

conversation about constitutional issues.” This blog provided the quote from President Buchanan

on how happy he hoped Lincoln was to enter the presidency, as he was for leaving it.

LaFantasie, G. W. (2002). How Lincoln won and lost at Gettysburg. I Ordered No Man to Go Where I

Would Not Go Myself: Leadership in the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg, National Park

Service Seminar Papers. Retrieved September 7, 2013 from

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/gett/gettysburg_seminars

LaFantasie goes to great lengths describing both Lincoln’s wins and losses at the Battle of

Gettysburg. This source was especially helpful as it provided context for Lincoln’s telegram of

June 10, 1863 to General Hooker. LaFantasie argues that Lincoln was “at least one man who

believed that he knew how to end and win the war…the Army of the Potomac needed to deal a

death blow to the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of Robert E. Lee.”

Lincoln was hoping General Hooker would share in his vision, but to no avail. LaFantasie is the

Richard Frockt Family Professor of Civil War History at Western Kentucky University and was

formerly the deputy history of the US Department of State.

Larecy, M. (2009). “The rhetorical presidency” today: How does it stand up? Presidential Studies

Quarterly. 39(4), 908-931. Retrieved September 7, 2013 from

http:www.jstor.org/stable/41427429

Larecy begins by discussing Jeffrey Tulis’ 1987 text titled, The Rhetorical Presidency. According

to Larecy, Tulis claimed “pre-twentieth-century presidents avoided communicating with the

public on policy matters…directed their policy-oriented communication to Congress, in writing.”

Larecy sets out to debunk this. Larecy states Lincoln (among others) often made public policy-

oriented speeches-averaging nineteen per year. Larecy further contends Lincoln used public

letters to communicate policy-the most famous one being the letter to Horace Greeley. This

demonstrates further proof Lincoln was a great communicator and attempted to use a variety of

tools to communicate-not just public speeches or messages to Congress.

Lehrman, L. (2008). Lincoln at Peoria. PA: Stackpole Books.

This text by Lewis Lehrman discusses the significance of Lincoln’s speech in Peoria, IL in

October 1854. It discusses the creation of the Republican Party and its platform in stopping the

spread of slavery. This text allows one to learn how the Peoria speech was one of Lincoln’s most

significant speeches prior to his presidency. It also solidifies Lincoln as a great communicator.

Lincoln, A. (August 1, 1858). Lincoln’s definition of democracy. Retrieved September 11, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu

This short, yet poignant statement by Lincoln clarifies his stance on slavery and on humanity as a

whole. The date of retrieval is also telling; it is a time when our nation reflects on tragedy and

questions and clarifies what this nation means. This serves as a modern-day example of our

nation’s purpose-democracy. It is also an example of Lincoln’s ability to communicate his beliefs

clearly and without hesitation (he submitted this statement to Judge J. B. Bradwell in Chicago).

Lincoln, A. (September 18, 1858). Fourth debate with Douglas. Retrieved September 18, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu

This transcripted source of the fourth debate between Douglas and Lincoln demonstrates

Lincoln’s wit, sarcasm and articulate debate skills. Lincoln addressed Douglas’ accusation that he

was supportive of racial equality. Lincoln clarified his position, but interestingly, in this

transcription, one can also see moments of audience laughter; Lincoln clearly is a great

communicator because he can play a crowd. Angle’s text (referenced above) suggests that

Lincoln was very good at using wit and humor when needed; this transcription supports that. This

text is also used to demonstrate Lincoln’s growth in his belief of racial equality.

Lincoln, A. (February 27, 1860). Cooper Union speech. Retrieved September 9, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu

Historians laud this speech as the one that propelled Lincoln on the national stage and clinched

his Republican nomination for the presidency. Analyzing this speech allows one to further grasp

the techniques and tools Lincoln used as a great communicator.

Lincoln, A. (1862-1863). The papers and writings of Abraham Lincoln, Volume Six. Retrieved October

12, 2013 from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2658/2658-h/2658-h.htm#link2H_4_0384.

These are the collected works of Abraham Lincoln from 1862-1863 published by Project

Gutenberg and edited by Arthur Brooks Lapsley. It is a wealth of information as it includes

primary sources of telegrams, letters, opinions, orders, and responses from and to President

Lincoln. This source was especially helpful in researching Lincoln’s June 10, 1863 telegram to

Hooker because it has the “telegram stream” from June 5 to June 13-where Lincoln proposes to

visit Hooker.

Lincoln, A. (January 13, 1862). Letter to Don Buell. Retrieved September 9, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu

General Buell was the leader of the Army of the Ohio in Kentucky. He was previously promoted

in 1861to brigadier general. Lincoln is clarifying his war policy to General Buell in early 1862.

Lincoln lacked military experience and knowledge but Lincoln was quick and smart and utilized

the military personnel around him. Lincoln understood the South would fight a defensive war and

the North needed to surround them (Anaconda Plan, Gen. Scott) but he further added to this by

demanding aggression and pursuing Robert E. Lee. This document provides evidence to

Lincoln’s future frustration with McClellan in not pursuing Lee (Letter to McClellan, October

1862).

Lincoln, A. (August 22, 1862). Letter to Horace Greeley. Retrieved September 19, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu.

This letter to Greeley’s rival newspaper is poignant. Greeley had published a “letter” in his

newspaper about Lincoln’s “failure” to enforce “emancipation provisions” (known as the “Prayer

of the Twenty Millions” see reference above) and Lincoln swiftly wrote back his primary

objective: to save the Union. This letter is evidence that Lincoln would steer his own public

policy and not “bend” to others. Lincoln would discuss emancipation when he believed the time

was right. This letter also gives one an indication on how Lincoln used public letters to forward

public policy-an argument White makes in his text.

Lincoln, A. (October 25, 1862). Letter to George McClellan. Retrieved September 9, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu.

Wheeler states in T-Mails, that Lincoln responded swiftly and quickly to military problems and

issues during the Civil War-even when the original communication was not addressed to him.

This letter exemplified the point. McClellan had written to the War Department (and specifically

to Gen. Halleck) about why he had yet to move across the Potomac River; the horses were

fatigued. Lincoln decided to personally reply and did so swiftly and poignantly. This is a great

example of Lincoln’s aptitude to communicate his frustrations with bite and sarcasm.

Lincoln, A. (January 26, 1863). Letter to Joseph Hooker. Retrieved October 5, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu.

Lincoln’s ability as a great communicator is exemplified in this letter because Lincoln exhibits

confidence in his role as Commander in Chief but also firm tenacity. It is a great example of

Lincoln demonstrating confidence and bluntness as well as Lincoln dispensing advice.

Lincoln, A. (June 10, 1863). Telegram to Joseph Hooker. Retrieved September 17, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu.

The context surrounding this particular telegram is telling. Lincoln hoped the new leader of the

Army of the Potomac, Gen. Hooker, would be forthcoming, candid, and honest with Lincoln as to

his battle plans, but Hooker was secretive. After Hooker suffers a massive defeat at

Chancellorsville, Lincoln leaves Washington to visit Hooker. Lincoln hopes Hooker will follow

Lee and attack; Hooker waits. By June, Lincoln realizes Hooker isn’t the leader Lincoln needs

which is clear from this telegram. This telegram serves as another example of Lincoln’s ability to

communicate directly and succinctly.

Lincoln, A. (November 19, 1863). Gettysburg Address. Retrieved September 6, 2013 from

housedivided.dickinson.edu

This is the quintessential speech of Lincoln. Pinsker rates it first among “most teachable Lincoln

documents” for obvious reasons. Historians interpret, argue, debate, quote and re-quote the

Gettysburg Address as THE speech that placed Lincoln as one of the greatest speakers of all time.

(In fact, it is often referred to as The Gettysburg Address). The Gettysburg Address solidified not

only the purpose of the Civil War but the purpose of American life.

Lincoln Institute. (2013). Mr. Lincoln’s White House: The war effort: Telegraph office [Web page].

Retrieved from http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/inside.asp?ID=630&subjectID=4

This website is funded as a project through the Lehrman Institute and this page discusses the

impact of the “new” communication system: the telegraph. This secondary source discusses the

creation of the telegraph office in the War Department under Secretary Stanton. It includes a

description of Lincoln’s “walks” to the telegraph office and how he used the office as a place to

“write and think in peace.” This site supports claims made by Wheeler in his T-Mails text about

how often Lincoln was in the telegraph office and how he used the telegraph to win the war.

Phillips, D. (1992). Lincoln on leadership: Executive strategies for tough times. New York: Warner

Books, Inc.

This text speaks to Lincoln’s leadership skills with a focus on MBWA, or Management by

Walking Around. Lincoln traveled much to battle fronts and to visit his generals in the field.

Lincoln also walked around his offices to discuss the day with them. Lincoln demonstrated

personal conversations were the most effective ways to learn about activities of his executive

offices and war activities. Phillips argues Lincoln’s effective use of telegraph communication

continued MBWA since he could “peer” into the decisions, conversations and activities of his

war leaders and even intercede.

Plum, W. (2012). The military telegraph during the Civil War in the United States, with an exposition of

ancient and modern means of communication, and of the federal and confederate cipher

systems, 1. Hong Kong: Forgotten Books. (Original work published in 1882).

This work was originally published in 1882 but republished in 2012 by Forgotten Books. This

text is truly a “running account” of the Civil War. Each chapter focuses on a particular area or

campaign of the war with the first chapter discussing Gettysburg. The text describes both Union

and Confederate troop movements, conversations between generals and decisions made by those

in charge. It is a very detailed text but allows for one to understand the significance and “weight”

of the telegraph’s usage during the war.

“Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.” Library of Congress. Retrieved from www.loc.gov

Unless otherwise noted on webpage, photographs came from the Library of Congress website.

Relyea, C. M. (1907). “Images related to Mr. Lincoln’s high tech war.” Mr. Lincoln’s High Tech War.

Retrieved October 8, 2013 from http://mrlincolnshightechwar.com/illustration_leads/

This image can be found on the front of David Bates’ Lincoln in the Telegraph Office (see

reference above).

Wheeler, T. (2006). Mr. Lincoln’s T-mails: The untold story of how Abraham Lincoln used the telegraph

to win the civil war. New York: Harper Publishers.

The theme of “Great Communicator” questions how Lincoln communicated his principles, beliefs

and tactics during America’s greatest turning point, the Civil War. In Wheeler’s book, he states

Lincoln was the first president to use the power of electronic messages and that power changed

how the executive functioned. The Civil War was not only “modern” in regards to weaponry or

transportation (RR’s) but also in its telegraph communications to move troops, plan battle tactics

and respond to strategy. Lincoln could often be found in the War Department’s telegraph office

reading, organizing and commenting on telegraph messages-even ones not addressed to him.

Lincoln adroitly used this newer form of communication to discuss battle plans, to send messages

to his generals in the field, and to effectively win the Civil War. Wheeler states the telegraph

messages of the 1800s are the email messages of today and Lincoln effectively used this new

form of communication to lead.

Although Wheeler states in his introduction that he is an “amateur historian,” he is a leader in the

telecommunications industry and therefore earns credence to write on this topic. He has been the

Chairman of the Foundation for the National Archives and was selected to the Wireless Hall of

Fame. Previously, Mr. Wheeler wrote Take Command: Leadership Lessons of the Civil War

(2000) and is now the Chairman of the FCC. Wheeler analyzes Lincoln’s telegraph messages in

the text to support his claim of how the executive changed and how Lincoln used these messages

to lead during our most trying time.

White, R. C., Jr. (2005). The eloquent president: A portrait of Lincoln through his words. New York:

Random House.

White’s text analyzes the growth and changes in Lincoln’s rhetoric by analyzing several primary

sources including his first and second inaugural addresses, the 1862 letter to Horace Greeley, and

of course, the Gettysburg Address. This text addresses the theme of Lincoln as the “Great

Communicator,” by demonstrating Lincoln’s oratorical skills. White argues not only was Lincoln

a great orator, but Lincoln also acted upon his words. This made Lincoln unique. Lincoln wrote

and researched his own speeches rather than using a speech writer. In writing the first inaugural,

Lincoln looked at historical precedent to find the right words to address the nation. Lincoln even

used “private” letters to announce “public” policy. White addresses Lincoln’s use of eloquence-to

appeal to the audience while using emotion-as Lincoln’s greatest skill. This skill came in handy

during America’s most difficult time of the Civil War.

Wills, G. (1992). Lincoln at Gettysburg: The words that remade America. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Wills takes a special look at what has been argued as Lincoln’s most important speech: the

Gettysburg Address. Wills analyzes previous speeches and addresses made by Lincoln to help the

reader understand how Lincoln created the address. This book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in

1993 for General Non-fiction. This text addresses the theme of Lincoln as the great

communicator since it analyzes Lincoln’s most important speech. It takes a microscopic look at

the speech that not only changed the course of the Civil War, but also the course of the nation.

What is interesting is that Lincoln wasn’t invited to the dedication ceremony until a month after

the most famous orator of the time, Edward Everett, was invited, but Lincoln was determined to

use the opportunity to boost the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, and to publicly declare war

aims.

Wilson, D. L. (2007). Lincoln’s sword: The presidency and the power of words. New York: Vintage.

This text is well-respected in the field of Lincoln studies as Wilson analyzes Lincoln’s speeches

and writings while including photographs of the original documents. Wilson includes much in-

depth analysis of other historians’ work on Lincoln’s writings and speeches while adding his own

interpretation of the impact of these speeches. This source allows one to see what previous

historians, Lincoln contemporaries, and even how the public responded to Lincoln’s speeches at

the time through various newspapers. Wilson argues how Lincoln adjusted his speeches and

writings for his audience members which made Lincoln’s words more powerful. Wilson states,

“Lincoln’s presidential writing proved to be timely, engaging, consistently lucid, compelling in

argument…and invested with memorable and even inspiring language.” This text differs from

Braden’s text because it focuses more on presidential writing than Lincoln’s earlier years;

therefore, it will provide a nice comparison.

Wilson, D.L. (2012). “Public opinion is everything:” Lincoln the communicator. In K. Weber (Ed.),

Lincoln: A president for the ages (183-195). New York: Public Affairs. Retrieved September 8,

2013 from www.amazon.com

Wilson states several examples of how Lincoln used a variety of communication tools including

“cultivating newspapers editors and journalists and allowed them access to the White House.”

Lincoln also wrote editorials-some under pseudonyms, so he definitely knew how to “plant

editorial support.” This text demonstrates what it takes to be a great communicator-an ability to

use and manipulate multiple communication tools.