The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America
Nov 2021 · Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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About this ebook
A groundbreaking look at how Abraham Lincoln broke the Constitution in order to remake it for a nation divided.
In The Broken Constitution, Noah Feldman presents an innovative account of Abraham Lincoln as a constitutional thinker and doer. Revered for his brilliance, compassion, humor, and commitment to liberty and justice for all, Lincoln led the nation into a bloody civil war to uphold the system of government established by the US Constitution. But how did Lincoln understand and shape the Constitution?
Feldman argues that Lincoln deliberately violated the United States' founding arrangements. When he came to power, it was widely believed that the federal government could not use armed force to prevent a state from seceding, that civil liberties could be suspended by Congress but not the president during a rebellion, and that the federal government had no authority over slavery in states where it existed. Lincoln broke decisively with these precedents, effectively rewriting the Constitution's place in the American system.
The Broken Constitution offers a riveting narrative of Lincoln's constitutional choices and how he made them, placing Lincoln in the rich context of thinking of the time, from African American abolitionists to his Republican rivals and Secessionist ideologues. Before the Civil War, the Constitution was a compromise pact between states; after Lincoln, it became a sacred text embodying the nation's highest ideals.
Includes 8 Pages of Black-and-White Illustrations
In The Broken Constitution, Noah Feldman presents an innovative account of Abraham Lincoln as a constitutional thinker and doer. Revered for his brilliance, compassion, humor, and commitment to liberty and justice for all, Lincoln led the nation into a bloody civil war to uphold the system of government established by the US Constitution. But how did Lincoln understand and shape the Constitution?
Feldman argues that Lincoln deliberately violated the United States' founding arrangements. When he came to power, it was widely believed that the federal government could not use armed force to prevent a state from seceding, that civil liberties could be suspended by Congress but not the president during a rebellion, and that the federal government had no authority over slavery in states where it existed. Lincoln broke decisively with these precedents, effectively rewriting the Constitution's place in the American system.
The Broken Constitution offers a riveting narrative of Lincoln's constitutional choices and how he made them, placing Lincoln in the rich context of thinking of the time, from African American abolitionists to his Republican rivals and Secessionist ideologues. Before the Civil War, the Constitution was a compromise pact between states; after Lincoln, it became a sacred text embodying the nation's highest ideals.
Includes 8 Pages of Black-and-White Illustrations
About the author
Noah Feldman is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, a columnist for Bloomberg View, and host of Pushkin Industry’s Deep Background podcast. He is the author of ten books, including The Three Lives of James Madison and Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices.
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