Lincoln Looks West: From the Mississippi to the Pacific

by Richard W. Etulain (Editor), Michael S. Green (Contribution by), Robert W. Johannsen (Contribution by), Deren Earl Kellogg (Contribution by), Mark E. Neely Jr. (Contribution by)

Overview

This volume explores Abraham Lincoln’s ties to the American West, bringing together a variety of scholars and experts who offer a look at the sixteenth president’s legacy in the territory beyond the Mississippi River. Included in this collection are an examination of Lincoln’s opposition to the Mexican War; a discussion of antislavery politics as applied to the West; perspectives on Lincoln’s views on the Thirteenth Amendment and his reluctance to admit Nevada to the Union; a look at the impact of the Radical Republicans on Lincoln’s patronage and appointments; and discussion of Lincoln’s favorable treatment of New Mexico and Arizona in an effort to garner their loyalty to the Union. Also analyzed is “The Tribe of Abraham”—Lincoln’s less-than-competent appointments in Washington Territory—and the ways in which Lincoln’s political friends in the Western Territories influenced his western policies. Other essays look at Lincoln’s dealings with the Mormons of Utah, who supported the president in exchange for his tolerance, and Native Americans, whose relations with the government suffered as the president’s attention was consumed by the Civil War. Loaded with a wealth of information, Lincoln Looks West explores yet another dimension to this dynamic leader and to the history of the American West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780809339082
Publisher:	Southern Illinois University Press
Publication date:	01/25/2023
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Richard W. Etulain, a professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico, is the author or editor of more than forty books, primarily on the history and culture of the American West. His most recent book is Beyond the Missouri: The Story of the American West. He is a coeditor of the Concise Lincoln Library book series.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Abraham Lincoln and the Trans-Mississippi American West: An Introductory Overview 1

1 Lincoln and the Mexican War: An Argument by Analogy Mark E. Neely Jr. 68

2 Lincoln, the West, and the Antislavery Politics of the 1850s Michael S. Green 90

3 Lincoln, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Admission of Nevada Earl S. Pomeroy 113

4 Lincoln and the Territorial Patronage: The Ascendancy of the Radicals in the West Vincent G. Tegeder 121

5 Lincoln's New Mexico Patronage: Saving the Far Southwest for the Union Deren Earl Kellogg 134

6 The Tribe of Abraham: Lincoln and the Washington Territory Robert W. Johannsen 153

7 Dr. Anson G. Henry (1804-65): Lincoln's Junkyard Dog Paul M. Zall 174

8 The Mormon Connection: Lincoln, the Saints, and the Crisis of Equality Larry Schweikart 189

9 Lincoln and the Indians David A. Nichols 210

Lincoln and the American West: A Bibliographical Essay and a Bibliography 233

Contributors 251

Acknowledgments 253

Index 255