When we think about Abraham Lincoln’s early career, we often picture him surrounded by thoughtful lawyers debating great questions of law and politics. The reality was far more complicated.
One of the most influential men in Illinois during Lincoln’s first years as a lawyer was Usher F. Linder, the state’s Attorney General from 1837-1839. Lincoln served with Linder in the Illinois legislature and knew him personally. As a young attorney riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit, Lincoln practiced in the same political world Linder helped shape.
Linder is the principal antagonist in Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy. The historical record demonstrates that this was the case. He was at the forefront of the attacks against Lovejoy.
Linder was intelligent, politically connected, outspoken, and one of the most visible public figures in Illinois. He also seemed to attract controversy wherever he went.
After losing an election, Linder confronted his political opponent in a barber shop and fired a pistol. The bullet struck a brass button on the man’s vest, deflecting what could have been a fatal wound. Linder went into hiding until tempers cooled and later apologized.
Only months before the riot over Elijah Lovejoy’s press, newspapers carried another remarkable story. On August 30, 1837, the Alton Telegraph reported that Linder and the Illinois prison warden spent an evening drinking while inmates waited on them. According to reports, the two men became so intoxicated they forgot their ‘servants’ were actually prisoners and sent several of them into town for more food and liquor. The prisoners simple kept going. The resulting scandal cost the warden his position. The story was also reported by the Missouri Republican and even reached readers of the Albany Evening Journal in New York.
These accounts remind us that politics in Lincoln’s Illinois was anything but quiet. This was an era when newspapers exchanged blistering insults, politicians sometimes carried pistols, and personal disputes could erupt into violence.
As I dug deeper into contemporary newspapers, I realized Linder was more than a colorful political figure. He was deeply involved in the controversy that surrounded Elijah Lovejoy. When the conflict over abolitionist editor Elijah Lovejoy reached its climax in Alton, one of the men standing on the opposite side was Usher Linder. At the Market House meeting, he loudly suggested that someone would kill Lovejoy. Once I understood his role, I knew he had to become one of the central figures in my novel.
One of the pleasures of writing historical fiction is discovering that history is often more dramatic than anything I could invent. I didn’t need to create an antagonist for Lincoln. The historical record made him impossible to ignore.
In future posts, I’ll introduce more of the real people who appear in Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy. Some became national heroes. Others have been almost forotten. Together, they formed the world in which a young Abraham Lincoln learned about law, politics, justice–and ultimately the price some people were willing to pay for freedom of the press.
Current projects:
- My book: Continuing revisions of my novel.
- Edward Bryant: continuing preparations for future publication of his stories.
Thanks for continuing to explore Lincoln’s world with me.
The View From The Imaginarium 