Why Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is the central figure in American history. Perhaps more than any other person, he recognized how America’s founding principles of liberty, equality, and democracy were worthy of preserving, not only for the sake of freedom in the United States but also because they would give “hope to the world for all future time.” His leadership during America’s greatest crisis—the Civil War—preserved the nation and, in his words, made the nation “forever worthy of the saving.” It is altogether fitting and proper that we remember him and reflect on his legacy. In the essays in this volume, leading scholars and public historians capture why he matters to them, and why he should still matter to all of us.