Lincoln as the American Redeemer

Introduction by Harold Holzer

From the moment of his death, Lincoln has been seen as a martyr whose sacrifice helped redeem a suffering nation. This booklet explores the religious, literary, and political meanings of the image of Lincoln as redeemer and how it has evolved over time.

Contents

• Edward Everett Hale, "Sermon Preached in Boston" (1865).
• Edmund Clarence Stedman, "Abraham Lincoln: Assassinated Good Friday, 1865" (1865).
• Julia Ward Howe, "Crown his blood-stained pillow" (1865).
• Herman Melville, "The Martyr" (1866).
• Walt Whitman, "Death of Abraham Lincoln" (1882).
• Richard Watson Gilder, "To the Spirit of Abraham Lincoln" (1888).
• Winston Churchill, from The Crisis (1901).
• Theodore Roosevelt, "Centenary Address at Hodgenville, Kentucky" (1909).

Harold Holzer is the co-chairman of the U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. He has written, co-written, or edited 22 books on Abraham Lincoln, including Lincoln President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861; Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President; Lincoln on Democracy (with Mario M. Cuomo); and The Lincoln Image (with Gabor S. Boritt and Mark E. Neely Jr.). He is Senior Vice President for External Affairs at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.