Moderation at a Time of Extremism: Lincoln’s Defense of the Union

In the years leading up to the Civil War, The United States were riven by fierce, occasionally violent clashes between those who saw the moral necessity of abolishing slavery and those who would defend that institution at any cost. In this context Abraham Lincoln sought, with moderation and pragmatism, to defend a union that could not hold. This talk outlines the arguments of both advocates of “states’ rights” and abolitionists, and explores Lincoln’s careful, thoughtful, but ultimately doomed attempts to hold the center in defense of the American union.

Edward Gimbel, associate professor, Politics, Government, and Law

Thursday, October 12, 2023, 2:00 pm