In 1837, the United States was still a young nation. The American Revolution had established independence, but an important question remained unanswered. Could ordinary people govern themselves? Abraham Lincoln worried about that question. Across the country, angry mobs were taking the law into their own hands. Newspapers were attacked. People were threatened. Violence was increasinglyContinue reading “Why Would Abraham Lincoln Risk His Life to Stop a Mob?”
Tag Archives: fiction
Whose Side of the Story Do You Believe? Writing the Lincoln Mysteries
When two people witness the same event, do they see the same thing? Not necessarily. One person sees a threat. Another sees someone standing up for his beliefs. A third is worried about his business, his family, or simply getting home safely. That’s one of the reasons I chose to tell Lincoln Seeks Justice forContinue reading “Whose Side of the Story Do You Believe? Writing the Lincoln Mysteries”
One Shot Could Start a Bloodbath. Enoch Long had to Decide When to Fire.
The men defending Elijah Lovejoy’s printing press were armed. So were the men threatening to destroy it. That left Enoch Long with a terrible responsibility. When, exactly, do you tell your men that are allowed to shoot? Long was already deeply involved in the struggle surrounding Lovejoy in Alton. When armed men were needed toContinue reading “One Shot Could Start a Bloodbath. Enoch Long had to Decide When to Fire.”
Abraham Lincoln’s Love Life was More Complicated Than You Might Think
When we picture Abraham Lincoln, romance probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. We picture the president. The beard. The solemn photographs. The man who led the country through the Civil War. But the Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy is only twenty-eight years old. He is unmarried. And heContinue reading “Abraham Lincoln’s Love Life was More Complicated Than You Might Think”
Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed Were Best Friends. They Didn’t Agree About Slavery
When Abraham Lincoln arrived in Springfield in 1837, he didn’t have enough money to furnish a bed. Joshua Speed offered to share his. Lincoln carried his saddlebags upstairs, came back down and announced, “Well, Speed, I’m moved.” It was an extraordinarily generous thing to do for someone he had only just met. It also beganContinue reading “Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed Were Best Friends. They Didn’t Agree About Slavery”
They Planned to Tar and Feather Elijah Lovejoy. Then He Said Something They Didn’t Expect.
Two men were waiting for Elijah Lovejoy on the road from Alton. Doctors Beall and Jennings threatened to tar and feather him, and they had intercepted him away from home. Lovejoy was alone and unarmed. By this point, the controversy surrounding Lovejoy had become increasingly dangerous. His opposition to slavery and the positions he tookContinue reading “They Planned to Tar and Feather Elijah Lovejoy. Then He Said Something They Didn’t Expect.”
How Do You Write a Novel About Abolition Without Black Characters?
I discovered an uncomfortable problem while writing Lincoln Seeks Justice for Elijah Lovejoy. I was writing a novel about slavery and abolition, and almost all of the people in my story were white. It wasn’t because there were no Black people in Alton. There was a significant Black community in and around the city, includingContinue reading “How Do You Write a Novel About Abolition Without Black Characters?”
Abraham Lincoln Almost Married Someone Else
Long before Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd, there was another Mary–Mary Owens. Lincoln had known Mary during his New Salem years, and at one point he apparently thought she might make a suitable wife. Her sister encouraged the possibility, and Lincoln agreed that if may returned to Illinois, he would consider marrying her. So MaryContinue reading “Abraham Lincoln Almost Married Someone Else”
How Elijah Lovejoy’s Younger Brother Became Abraham Lincoln’s “Right-Hand Man”
Owen Lovejoy didn’t seem to know exactly what he wanted to do with his life. But his older brother Elijah did. Elijah had become a minister, a newspaper editor, and an outspoken opponent of slavery. Owen admired him. he wasn’t jealous of his brother’s growing fame. He followed Elijah west, studied for the ministry himself,Continue reading “How Elijah Lovejoy’s Younger Brother Became Abraham Lincoln’s “Right-Hand Man””
The Young Father Who Risked His Warehouse for Freedom of the Press
Winthrop Gilman had good reasons to stay out of Elijah Lovejoy’s troubles. He was a successful businessman in Alton. He was married, and his infant son was only a few months old. Gilman and his wife, Abia, had already suffered the death of their first child. He had a family to protect. He also hadContinue reading “The Young Father Who Risked His Warehouse for Freedom of the Press”
