(Library of Congress)
Historical Scholarship on Lincoln as Commander in Chief
Historians have examined Lincoln’s role as commander in chief from a variety of angles. They have looked at how he used his war powers to emancipate the slaves. Historians like James Oakes and Garry Gallagher have debated whether or not it was a war for union or slavery. They have examined his use of constitutional powers to preserve the Union. Historians have also examined his appointment of generals, political or otherwise. James McPherson has focused a lot on Lincoln and his role as commander in chief. Below you will find a number of articles written by James McPherson and other historians, discussing Lincoln’s job as commander in chief. They all provide good insight into the difficulties of governing a nation at war, both militarily and politically. McPherson has several good articles and videos which closely examine Lincoln’s military strategy and the difficulty he had in finding generals to carry out that strategy. Until the appointment of General Ulysses S. Grant in March of 1864, no general had gained the trust of Lincoln. As a teacher, you can also use the primary sources link below to further study Lincoln and his role as commander in chief.
Please explore the following links in order to gain more information on President Lincoln's role as Commander in Chief.
Secondary Sources
- McPherson, James. www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/american-civil-war/essays/%E2%80%9Ci-begin-see-it%E2%80%9D-lincoln-war-president
- McPherson, James. Smithsonian Magazine. January 2009. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lincoln-as-commander-in-chief-131322819/?no-ist
- McPherson, James. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. books.google.com/books?id=Bi5UlY2IadMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lincoln%27s+war+powers&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjkqMHWhZnOAhVLQSYKHaMCA44Q6AEINjAE#v=onepage&q=lincoln's%20war%20powers&f=false
- McPherson, James. Lincoln as Commander in Chief video. Gilder Lehrman Institute. vimeo.com/29846738
- Greenbaum, Mark. Lincoln's Do-Nothing Generals. New York Times. November 27, 2011. opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/lincolns-do-nothing-generals/?_r=0
- The Generals and Admirals. Mr. Lincoln's White House. The Lehrman Institute. www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/residents-visitors/the-generals-and-admirals/
- Williams, T. Harry. Lincoln and His Generals, 2011. Google Books search. books.google.com/books?id=Kg2WPCOTTuQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=abraham+lincoln+and+his+generals&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqTu56LOAhXEPCYKHeSVBLgQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=abraham%20lincoln%20and%20his%20generals&f=false
- Waugh, John C. Lincoln and McClellan: The Troubled Partnership Between a President and His General, 2010. Google Books Search. https://books.google.com/books?id=memHhsqhk_QC&printsec=frontcover&dq=abraham+lincoln+and+his+generals&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5tqTu56LOAhXEPCYKHeSVBLgQ6AEIRTAH#v=onepage&q=abraham%20lincoln%20and%20his%20generals&f=false
- Simpson, Brooks. Lincoln and His Political Generals. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Winter 2000. quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860.0021.105?view=text;rgn=main
- Presidential War Powers: The Challenges of Managing Wars. Moderated by Matthew Pinsker. June 18, 2014. (Video: 90 minutes). housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/2013/06/06/understanding-lincoln-panels-open-to-public/
- Lincoln's Writings. House Divided Project. housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/
- The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln Association. quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/
- Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html
- Research Guide. House Divided Project. http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/research-guide/ (Good starting point to find links to Lincoln primary and secondary sources on the Internet)