Review - Lincoln's Peace by Michael Vorenberg

Review of Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War by Michael Vorenberg

Michael Vorenberg’s Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War offers a compelling reexamination of the Civil War’s conclusion, pushing readers to question what it means to “end” a war. Beginning after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in April 1865—a moment most know wasn’t the war’s final act—Vorenberg explores the messy, ongoing struggles that followed. Written with scholarly depth yet a familiar tone, this book is accessible to general readers while challenging simplistic historical narratives.

Vorenberg uses the post-Appomattox surrenders as a launchpad to probe the nature of peace. At first, I thought this was merely a semantic debate, but he quickly shows how the war’s unresolved issues—former Confederates’ defiance, efforts to reinvent slavery through Black Codes, and violence against freedpeople—functioned as a continuation of the conflict. He even ties in the Indian Wars in the West, framing them as part of the nation’s persistent martial ethos. This broader lens reveals how some of the war’s aims lingered, unresolved, long after the shooting stopped.

The book shines in its portrayal of competing visions for peace. Lincoln sought a balance of justice and reconciliation, but his death left his plans untested. Radical Republicans demanded sweeping reforms, including civil rights for freedpeople, while white Southerners often envisioned peace as a return to old hierarchies.

Vorenberg’s boldest suggestion is that the Civil War’s failure to resolve issues like racial equality and national unity means it’s still ongoing, its promises of justice at risk of being “lost.” This provocative idea urges readers to see history as a living struggle. However, his logic has gaps. By framing the war’s end as elusive, he implies its beginning could stretch far before 1861, perhaps to slavery’s roots, which he doesn’t explore. This risks diluting the war’s specific historical contours. Additionally, Vorenberg underplays the millions of loyal Americans who saw the war’s goal as restoring the Union—a mission largely achieved by 1865. Their perspective, central to the North’s resolve, deserves more weight. Finally, he doesn’t fully credit the significance of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. As the Confederacy’s best hope, its defeat at Appomattox effectively crushed the South’s dream of independence, a pivotal moment that Vorenberg somewhat glosses over.

Despite these critiques, Lincoln’s Peace is a notable blend of scholarship and accessibility, making the book a must-read for anyone curious about why the Civil War’s legacy endures.

With compliments,

Keith

PS - if you want to check out another book about the end of things, which I rather liked, grab a copy of Carrie Janney’s Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lees’ Army After Appomattox