Writing to Lincoln

I have not one but TWO framed portraits of Abraham Lincoln in my study. I mean, why not? After all, he led the nation through its most trying hour, he dedicated himself to saving the Union, and in an effort to make the Union worth saving, he was instrumental in laying the groundwork for emancipation and the Thirteenth Amendment. True story. But for those of us interested in understanding Lincoln the man, we should be careful not to cast him as some sort of savior. Deification doesn’t get us very far. Though I enjoy reading such takes as historical documents, I am always skeptical of hagiographies masquerading as biographies. Carl Sandberg’s beautifully written but sweepingly uncritical volumes come to mind. One might counter such takes by emphasizing, as Nikole Hannah-Jones does in the 1619 Project, Lincoln ‘s support of colonization or his willingness to “save the Union without freeing any slave.” The problem is that Hannah-Jones stops there, in a disappointingly narrow and unsophisticated analysis of Lincoln’s position on slavery and freedom. Either way, selectivity suggesting that Lincoln was wholly one thing or another is overly simplistic and perhaps even agenda driven. People really just aren’t that one-dimensional - and Lincoln was no exception. Clearly I admire the man. But at the same time I acknowledge his humanity - and like any human he was flawed.

Historical actors are complex - and I instruct my students as such…suggesting that those of us bound by intellectual honesty should strive to understand them on their own terms - in the case of Lincoln and slavery, we should look at all he said on the subject, for good or ill, and remember not to expect him to act (or think) like us. And…we might do ourselves a favor and listen to what others had in mind when they spoke of or wrote to President Lincoln. This brings me to Jonathan W. White’s edited collection: To Address You as My Friend: African Americans’ Letters to Abraham Lincoln.

If you are looking to add to a comprehensive Lincoln study, then this book is an essential resource. Why? Because it shows how black people at the time felt about President Lincoln. And despite what some journalists would have you believe, in many ways this collection of letters lends some credence to the “great emancipator” idea. At the very least, a significant number of people looked to him in those terms and sought his help.

What I find infinitely fascinating about this collection that that black peoples’ correspondence with the president is remarkably varied, covering a broad range of topics: some asking for pardons, some voicing their opposition to colonization, a few in favor of it, and others who reflect on Lincoln’s “noble work” and write to convince the president to support black suffrage. (177) Many write as concerned Americans under the banner of liberty - a principle Lincoln clearly embraced, and most of the correspondents suggest, as one black mill worker notes, that Lincoln was a “good friend to the colored people.” (225)

That black people turned to Lincoln for help of all sorts should say something. They certainly thought Lincoln was on their side. Shouldn’t we listen to them? Of course, modern readers should absolutely be critical of the “Lincoln as great emancipator” image. But at the same time we must acknowledge 19th-century historical actors who viewed him in precisely this way. The reader will finish this collection clear on one thing for sure: Lincoln was many things to many different people.

Finally, what I appreciated most about these letters is that they show black people acting on their own behalf instead of merely being acted upon. This collection explores the human experience beyond simplified victimization. Yes, black people faced immeasurable injustice during Lincoln’s presidency - yet still seized the initiative when the opportunity presented itself. In fact, one could argue that they helped create the opportunity. I believe that those included within these pages saw a future where Americans, regardless of color, could interact with their president as equals before the law. These letters strike me as an important path to that equality. Circumstances provided the foundation: freedom and a sympathetic executive.

With compliments,

Keith