The Case of Abraham Lincoln: A Story of Adultery, Murder, and the Making of a Great President

In 1856, Abraham Lincoln was at a difficult point, personally. Depressed, edgy, and often despondent, he had grown bored with his work as a lawyer. He saw himself as a former congressman with little future in politics. Then in May of 1856, he became drawn to the case of the gruesome murder of a blacksmith named George Anderson. Lincoln was asked to take part in the case, and he did so with zeal. The Anderson case reflected a dark world hidden within the optimism and innocence of the young I...