What affect did this have on the boy, if any?ħ. At an early age, Lincoln lost two of the women he most needed and loved - his mother and sister. Is there a possibility that Lincoln was inspired to become a better man, a more educated man, one with a future because of his father?Ħ. Lincoln had a strained relationship with his father. Do you believe this? Is this contradictory to the belief in yourself and your own worth? Your religious faith?ĥ. Lincoln had a very strong desire to 'engrave his name in history' and believed that ideas of a person's worth are tied to the way others perceive him. Seward said he discovered 'politics was the important and engrossing business of the country.' Does it still seem that way to you? How important is it to have a two-party system in our government?Ĥ. What one quality do each of these men have in common, including Lincoln? Is that quality necessary for any person who enters politics?ģ. Putting Lincoln to one side, which of the men (the rivals) would you most like to meet and why? Which (if you were a woman) would you most likely marry and why? Start a business with?Ģ. Lincoln understood the prevailing feelings both within his party and within the country, and he was able to adroitly position himself so that his policies would be met with the least amount of resistance while having the greatest possible positive effect.Read our archived discussion of this bookġ. Kearns Goodwin highlights how Lincoln’s skills as an orator, a politician, and a handler of men helped lead the United States through this tumultuous historical period. The second part, “Master Among Men,” describes Abraham Lincoln’s time as president, from his first act of forming a cabinet made up primarily of his rivals for the Republication nomination to his assassination following the Union victory in the Civil War and the establishment of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. This issue played a crucial role in both Lincoln’s election and the South’s subsequent secession. Most notably, as the United States acquired new territory, it had to decide whether slavery would be legal in the new states. The first of the book, titled “The Rivals,” also outlines the forces shaping American politics in the 19th century. Chase, and Edward Bates were much more well-known and established in public life than Abraham Lincoln was in the mid-19th century, Kearns Goodwin illuminates the faults that kept each of them from gaining the nomination.

She introduces Abraham Lincoln as well as his contemporary rivals for the Republication nomination. Kearns Goodwin begins by setting the scene for Lincoln’s 1860 presidential campaign.

A team of rivals