Lincoln's Rise to Eloquence

D. Leigh Henson is an emeritus professor in the department of English at Missouri State University. He is the author of The Town Abraham Lincoln Warned: The Living Namesake Heritage of Lincoln, Illinois and Inventing Lincoln: Approaches to His Rhetoric.

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part I. Articulate Whig Stalwart Entering the Illinois Political Arena and Confronting Stephen A. Douglas (1832-1842) Writing Himself into Congress (1843-1847) Writing and Speaking to Gain Distinction in Congress (1847-1849) Part II. Emerging Republican Statesman Introducing Arguments against Slavery and Douglas (1850-1856) Pursuing the Case against Slavery and Douglas for the US Senate (1857-1858) Sparring with Douglas over Credibility during Their First Four Debates (1858) Concluding the Senate Race and Gaining National Distinction (1858) Expanding Arguments against Slavery and Douglas (1859-1860) Conclusions Notes Bibliography Index

"Lincoln's words echo in our historical memory, but the power of his political rhetoric is unavoidably lost to time. It takes a fine historian to reimagine Lincoln's eloquence, originality, and moral suasion, and Leigh Henson proves the right man for the task. In a well-argued, thought-provoking study, Henson traces Lincoln's growth as a writer and orator, and offers thought-provoking analysis to illuminate both their original impact and their enduring power. No one interested in Lincoln's speeches and writings can afford to miss this book." --Harold Holzer, author of Brought Forth on This Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration "It is safe to say that the author has gone beyond any other existing study of Lincoln's rhetorical rise to office. Henson leaves no stone unturned in exploring how Lincoln rose from obscurity to the Republican nomination. The book makes a significant scholarly contribution as it takes account of every text--large or small--that enabled Lincoln to work out his astute political position."--Paul Stob, author of Intellectual Populism: Democracy, Inquiry, and the People "Henson astutely and proficiently demonstrates how Lincoln in his pre-presidential speeches mastered the art of rhetorical methodology, whether the purposes were for partisan expediency and hyperbolic demagoguery or rational argumentation and moralism suasion. Henson imparts to the reader a renewed appreciation for the lost art of oratory, and a profound respect for Lincoln's very deliberate word choices. His important contribution leaves us in even greater awe of Lincoln's extraordinary communicative ability and rhetorical mastery."--Ron J. Keller, author of Lincoln in the Illinois Legislature