IRB Media Summary of James M. McPherson's Tried by War

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 Lincoln was president-elect when the South Carolina legislature voted to secede from the Union. He began to explore what his options would be when he took office, and what he believed was that the government had the legal right to maintain its integrity.#2 Lincoln was loath to take the threats of secession seriously. He believed that an underlying Unionism remained strong in slave states, even those that had seceded. He tried to assure people that there would be no blood shed during the war.#3 Lincoln's speeches showed that he was not willing to use force to reclaim federal property. He was willing to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, but he was not willing to invade any states.#4 The question of whether to pull out the troops or send them in reinforcements to hold Fort Sumter was one of the most difficult decisions that Lincoln had to make as president.