- Seward ordering secret orders to the Powhatan was an “awkward situation” to say the least. Did Lincoln handle this the right way by taking the blame all on himself?
- Chase is a fascinating person. He obviously is very effective in his duties but also very deluded. How do we explain the success of persons like him? Could his quirks of character be a hindrance in some aspects of his life but beneficial in other aspects of his life?
- Ulysses S. Grant is often cited as the example of a functioning addict. Is too much made of his drinking?
- There’s been much controversy surrounding Mary Lincoln in recent years. What do you think of her and her relationship with the president?
- Why did Lincoln risked being shot at Fort Stevens? How do we explain that behavior?
- Save the best for last: was the Civil War about slavery?
We’ll be discussing part two of Team of Rivals on November 11th. We meet in the Main Library in Conference Room 3 at noon. Feel free to bring a lunch.
I won’t be able to make it to the discussion, I am scheduled to speak at a conference.
I really enjoyed the second half – it is where she makes most of her points about leadership, this seems to be her thesis. Looking back on the whole text, in light of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s remarks on the TED talk, Lincoln had all of these leadership attributes in spades. The book was a case of lionizing, it did glance over his faults, but Lincoln’s triumphs are too numerous and substantial to quibble about that.
The Fort Stevens story and other visits to the front demonstrated his dedication to the soldiers carrying out the dirty work of the war. It is hard for me to sympathize with such risk-taking, as the consequences of him being killed in battle would seem catastrophic. I also heard in his tone that he did not expect to survive the conflict, and maybe this behavior was a demonstration that he was willing to die for the cause, just as the soldiers were.
It was interesting to see how Lincoln avoided making the conflict specifically about slavery. It appeared there were many on both sides who did not support the position of their state, but more how that individual and how they felt the conflict would benefit them one way or another. For black regiments, you would have to say it was about slavery. For some soldiers, it was more about protecting honor and sovereignty. I still think slavery was a central issue in the conflict, but it was more nuanced than just saying the South was defending slavery and the North was fighting to abolish it. Without Lincoln’s careful guidance, the conflict could have ended with a military victory, but moral/legal defeat on slavery.