9:00 am - 10:30 am: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Slavery and the American Founding

Focus: What did the Founders mean by declaring "all men are created equal?" Given the existence of slavery in Revolutionary America, did they really only mean to say that all "white English Protestant Christian males who own property" are created equal? If, on the other hand, the Founders meant the term "men" to be inclusive of all human beings--black and white, male and female--then how are we to understand the relation between their universal principles (which would condemn slavery) and their actual practice (the fact that slavey continued to exist in America until the Civil War)? How does the requirement of consent as the only legitimate basis of government qualify the pursuit of equalty in a free society? What is Lincoln's response to the claim that the signers of the Declaration must be considered hypocrites if they intended to include blacks as "created equal" to whites while still keeping them in slavery?

Readings:

• Declaration of Independence (Declaration/Constitution booklet)
• Thomas Jefferson Selections (Packet)
• Original Draft of the Declaration of Independence (excerpt), 1-4
• Notes on the State of Virginia (1781, 1787), Query XVIII, "Manners," 214-15
• Letter to Roger C. Weightman (June 24, 1826), 52-53 (Ashbrook Center booklet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• "The Dred Scott Decision" (June 24, 1857), 352-65, esp. 360-61
• Johannsen, The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, "Third Joint Debate," Opening Speech by Stephen A. Douglas, 116-31, esp. 127-28
• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapter 17, esp. 374-76
• West, Vindicating the Founders, Chapter 1, "Slavery" (Photocopied Reading Packet)

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapters 14-15
• Storing, "Slavery and the Moral Foundations of the American Republic" (Photocopied Reading Packet)

10:45 am - 12:15 pm: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Slavery, Ante-Bellum Politics, and Westward Expansion

Focus: What is "reverence for the laws" and why does Lincoln think it is so important to "the perpetuation of our political institutions?" Who or what is the "towering Genius" that poses the greatest threat to American self-government? What does Lincoln's criticism of "old school" temperance reformers suggest about the proper mode of politcal debate for a self-governing people? What role does Lincoln believe religion plays in a self-governing society? What does Stephen Douglas mean by "popular sovereignty?" Why does Lincoln view the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 as a reversal of American policy towards domestic slavery? How does the "indifference" about the spread of slavery amount to "covert real zeal" for its spread? How soes Lincoln justify previous national copromises with slavery? What is Lincoln's definition of self-government and how does it inform his political rhetoric and policy proposals?

Reading:

• McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Chapter 5
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• Jan 27, 1838 Speech to the Young Men's Lyceum (p. 76)
• Feb 22, 1842 Temperance Address (p. 131)
• Aug 11, 1846 Religious Views (p. 186)
• July 6, 1852 Eulogy on Henry Clay (p. 264)
• Two undated fragments (p. 278)
• Oct 16, 1854 Speech at Peoria, Illinois (p. 283)
• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Epigrams, p. 15, and Chapters 3-4, 9-10

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapters 5-6

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Guest Lecture with Dr. David W. Blight (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Frederick Douglass' Civil War

7:30 pm - 9:30 pm: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Abolitionism, the Rise of the Republican Party, and an Escaped Slave's Views

Focus: According to Garrison what is wrong with the gradual abolition of slavery? Does he think the Constitution is pro-freedom or pro-slavery? Why does Garrison not endorse political reform as the cure for the nation's ills? What is the key principle that Lincoln proposes for the "fusion" of various political interests into a new party? Contrast Lincoln's approach to eliminating slavery with Garrison's. What does Lincoln mean by comparing America to "a house divided against itself?" What is Frederick Douglass' view of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution? Does he view blacks in the United States as Americans? What do blacks in America need to flourish as human beings and as citizens?

Readings:

• McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Chapter 6
• Calhoun, "Slavery as a Positive Good" (February 6, 1837), 1-3 (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Cain, ed., William Lloyd Garrison and the Fight against Slavery
  • "To the Public" (January 1, 1831), 70-72
  • "On the Constitution and the Union" (December 29, 1832), 87-89
  • "Declaration of the National Anti-Slavery Convention" (Dec. 14, 1833), 90-94
  • "Declaration of Sentiments Adopted by the Peace Convention" (September 28, 1838), 101-105
  • "Address to the Slaves of the United States" (June 2, 1843), 109-11
  • "The American Union" (January 10, 1845), 112-15
  • "Dred Scott and Disunion" (March 12, 1858), 148-50
  • "Southern Desperation" (November 16, 1860), 162-63
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• Aug 11, 1855 Letter to Owen Lovejoy (p. 328)
• Aug 15, 1855 Letter to George Robertson (p. 330)
• Aug 24, 1855 Letter to Joshua Speed (p. 332)
• Dec 10, 1856 Speech at a Republican Banquet in Chicago (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• June 26, 1857 Speech at Springfield, Illinois (p 352)
• Dec 28, 1857 Letter to Lyman Trumbull (Photocopied Readings Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• July 10, 1858, Chicago (p. 385)
• July 17, 1858, Springfield (p. 405)
• June 16, 1858 House Divided Speech (p. 372)
• Oct 18, 1858 Letter to J.N. Brown (p. 478)
• Frederick Douglass, selected readings from Herbert Storing, ed., What Country Have I? Political Writings by Black Americans (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1970) (Photocopied Reading Packet
• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapter 13

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapters 7-8
• Schaub, "Frederick Douglass'Constitution," 459-74 (Photocopied Reading Packet)

9:00 am - 10:30 am: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858

Focus: Contrast Lincoln's understanding of the relationship between public opinion and political rule with that of Stephen Douglas. What does Douglas mean by "diversity" and how does he use it to attack Lincoln's alleged doctrine of "uniformity?" Why does Douglas think Lincoln is wrong to criticize the Dred Scott opinion? How does Lincoln answer Douglas's charges? What does Lincoln mean by the "moral lights" of the community? In the second debate, how does Lincoln force Douglas into a quandry regarding popular sovereignty and support for the Dred Scott opinion? (See Douglas's argument about "unfriendly legislation.") In the seventh debate, what is Lincoln's understanding of the Founders' views regarding slavery? How does Lincoln show that the rhetoric of Douglas makes him a kind of abolitionist in practice?

Readings:

• Johannsen, Third through Sixth Debates

10:45 am - 12:15 pm: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 and the Fate of the American Union

Focus: What is Lincoln's definition of democracy? What role does Lincoln think the Declaration of Independence plays in contemporary political practice? Why does Lincoln advise against a Republican call for repeal of the fugitive slave law? What is the difference between the "mud-sill" theory of labor and capital and the "free labor" theory? What connection does Lincoln make between liberty, union, and the Constitution?

Readings:

• Johannsen, First,Second, and Seventh Debates
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• Aug 1, 1858 Fragment on Slavery (p. 427)
• Oct 1, 1858 Fragment on Slavery (P. 477)
• April 6, 1859 Letter to Henry L. Pierce and others (p. 488)
• June 9, 1859 & June 20, 1859 Letters to Salmon Portland Chase (pp. 490, 492)
• Sept 30, 1859 Speech to Wisconsin State Agricultural Society (p. 493)
• Dec 20, 1859 Letter to Jesse W. Fell (p. 510)
• 1860 Fragment: The Constitution and the Union (p. 513)

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided, Chapters 11-12, 18-20

9:00 am - 10:30 am: Professor Morel (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: The Election of 1860

Focus: As Lincoln recounts the early history of the federal government, what authority did it exercise over slavery? What problems do southerners have with the Republican Party, and how does Lincoln respond to their charges? Why does Lincoln claim that the southern disposition during the 1860 election year was to "rule or ruin in all events"? What is his advice to Republicans as they face opposition over the slavery controversy? In his address to the New Jersey Senate, why does Lincoln call the American citizenry God's "almost chosen people"? What is Lincoln's declared agenda as the incoming president? Why does he think secession unjustified and illegitimate? What is Lincoln's view of the authority of the Supreme Court? What does Lincoln mean by "the better angels of our nature"? How does Lincoln think the country can avoid civil war? What does Jaffa mean by "the Democratic secession" and what is the significance for the subsequent election and state of the union?

Readings:

• McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Chapters 7-8
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• February 27, 1860 Cooper Institute Speech (p. 517)
• February 11, 1861 Farewell speech at Springfield (p. 568)
• February 21, 1861 Farewell Address to NJ Senate (p. 574)
• March 4, 1861 First Inaugural Address (p. 579)
• May 25, 1861 Letter to Ephraim D. and Phoebe Ellsworth (p. 593)
• Jaffa, A New Birth of Freedom, Chapter 3

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, A New Birth of Freedom, Chapters 4-5

10:45 am - 12:15 pm: Professor Owens (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: The Rights and Wrongs of Secession

Focus: In 1776, Americans invoked the right of revolution as the basis of their separation from Britian. What was the basis of Southern secession? How did it differ from the claims advanced by the Americans in 1776? Why?

Did secession have to lead to war? Why couldn't the south have been allowed to secede peacefully, as Horace Greeley argued?

Reading:

• McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Chapter 9
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
• August 22, 1862 letter to Horace Greeley (p.651)
• Dew, Apostles of Disunion
• The Justifying Cause of Secession (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Constitution of the Confederate States (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Speech of Alexander H. Stephens, The 'Cornerstone' Speech (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Mayor Wood's Recommendation of the Secession of New York City (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • July 4, 1861 Message to Congress in Special Session (p. 594)
• Lincoln, Proclamation Calling Militia and Convening Congress (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Lincoln, April 15, 1861 Letter to Reverdy Jackson (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• April 24, 1861 Letter to Winfield Scott (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Owens, “The Case Against Secession” (Photocopied Reading Packet)

Supplemental/Optional Readings:

• Jaffa, A New Birth of Freedom, Chapter 6

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm: Professor Owens (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Lincoln as a War Leader

Focus: What was Lincoln’s impact as a war leader and strategist? Given the disparities in resources between the North and the South, wasn’t it a foregone conclusion that the North would triumph in a war of attrition? Compare his performance with that of Jefferson Davis.

Lincoln’s critics charge that at best, he was not a particularly good judge of competence, and at worst, he was a political trimmer. They claim that his cabinet selections were not particularly impressive, and once established, he had difficulty controlling the cabinet. Indeed, members of his cabinet manipulated him. How do you assess these arguments? How about his military choices? What are the problems of conducting a war in a democracy? How did Lincoln handle them? Assess his leadership.

Reading:

• McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Chapters 10-20, 22-28
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • September 22, 1861 Letter to Orestes Browning (p. 613)
  • December 3, 1861 Annual Message to Congress (p. 616)
• May 19, 1862 Presidential Proclamation (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • July 28, 1862 Letter to Bullitt (p. 648)
  • August 22, 1862 Letter to Horace Greeley (p. 651)
• September 28, 1862 Letter to Hannibal Hamblin (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • September 30, 1862 Meditation on the Divine Will (p. 655)
  • December 1, 1862 Annual Message to Congress (p. 666)
  • December 23, 1862 Letter to Fanny McCullough (p. 688)
  • August 5, 1863 Letter to Nathaniel P. Banks (p. 714)
  • August 17 and November 2, 1863 letters to James H. Hackett (p. 718, p. 732)
  • December 8, 1863 Presidential Proclamation of Amnesty (p. 738)
• December 8, 1863 Annual Message to Congress (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• December 15, 1863 Letter to Thomas Cottman (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • March 13, 1864 Letter to Michael Hahn (p. 745)
• April 4, 1864 Letter to Albert G. Hodges (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • April 18, 1864 Address at a Sanitary Fair in Baltimore (p. 748)
  • April 30, 1864 Letter to U.S. Grant (p. 750)
• June 9, 1864 Reply to Delegates from the Nation Union League (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• July 8, 1864 Presidential Proclamation (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• September 12, 1864 Draft of a Letter to Isaac M. Schermerhorn (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• September 19, 1864 Letter to William T. Sherman (Photocopied Reading Packet)
• Basler, Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings
  • October 19, 1864 Response to a Serenade (p. 760)
  • November 10, 1864 Response to a Serenade (p. 763)
  • November 21, 1864 Letter to Lydia Bixby (p. 766)
  • December 6, 1864 Annual Message to Congress (p. 773)
  • December 26, 1864 Letter to William T. Sherman (p. 789)
  • January 19, 1865 Letter to U.S. Grant (p. 790)

7:30 pm: - 9:30 pm: Guest Lecture by William C. Harris (Seminar Room, Founders Hall)

Topic: Lincoln’s Restoration and Reconstruction of the Union