This UIS Center for Lincoln Studies Book Series, in partnership with University of Illinois Press, publishes significant monographs and documentary editions dealing with Abraham Lincoln and his legacy. Publication of books about Lincoln remains important as scholars continue to refine their understanding of Lincoln and the public continues to be fascinated by the 16th president. We welcome projects that are grounded in history, but also those that cross disciplinary boundaries throughout the humanities and social sciences.
Series Editor: Michael Burlingame
Written by a longtime friend and ally, Lincoln the Citizen offers a rare character study and insightful biography of Lincoln before he became president. Michael Burlingame restores material cut by editors of the original 1907 publication to present Henry Clay Whitney’s work in full.
Whitney reveals the legal and political spheres where Lincoln moved while providing eyewitness accounts and intimate stories shared by Lincoln himself. From his unique vantage point, Whitney informs analyses of everything from Lincoln’s melancholic temperament to his colorful early career to views on his marriage and family life. Burlingame places Whitney’s contributions within Lincoln studies but also weighs criticisms of the book and disputes over what information the author may or may not have invented.
A restored edition of an invaluable memoir, Lincoln the Citizen presents a wealth of overlooked biographical detail by one of the people who knew Lincoln best.