Abraham Lincoln: Historical and Cultural Perspectives

This seminar uses life, legacy, myth of Abraham Lincoln to explore central themes such as frontier in early republic, nature of political leadership, law/legal culture, and emergence of sectionalism, slavery, antislavery, Civil War. Frequent short writing assignments and research investigations allow students in-depth explorations of Lincoln’s works, the writings of his contemporaries, and modern non-fiction, fiction, and film. The course enables us to consider two larger themes: 1) the relationship between memory and history; and 2) the function of history in modern society. The course has no prerequisites and does not presuppose special knowledge of American history.