Summary of Differ We Must By Steve Inskeep: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America

By Willie M. Joseph

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Summary of Differ We Must By Steve Inskeep: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America

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In Differ We Must, Steve Inskeep explores Abraham Lincoln's political acumen, highlighting his strategy in a divided country and lessons for our own disorderly present. Lincoln's life and political career often involved disagreement, as democracy demanded it. Inskeep illuminates Lincoln's life through sixteen encounters with people who disagreed with him, and how he learned to make his beliefs actionable. Lincoln's greatest acts came about through his engagement with people who disagreed with him, making him the Lincoln we know. Inskeep, the host of NPR's Morning Edition, brings his skills to bear on a prior master, forming a fresh and compelling narrative of Lincoln's life. With rich detail and enlightening commentary, Inskeep expands our understanding of a politician who held strong to his moral compass while navigating between corrosive political factions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willie M. Joseph
• Release date: Oct 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223149361

Willie M. Joseph

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Introduction

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Lincoln, a revered American figure, was often seen as a Christlike figure who suffered and died for his nation's survival. However, his vocation is often seen as the province of money, power, cynicism, and lies. This book reveals that Lincoln preserved the country and participated in a social revolution by engaging in politics. He always considered slavery wrong but felt immediate abolition was beyond the federal government's constitutional power and against the wishes of too many voters. He tried to contain slavery and helped build a democratic coalition supporting that position.

The book views Lincoln in sixteen encounters before and during his presidency, each one a face-to-face meeting with a person who differed with him. These interactions show a master politician's practical and moral choices, along with his sometimes mysterious character. Lincoln learned, adapted, and sought advantage while interacting with people who disagreed with him. He started his career in the minority party and set out to make a majority.

Lincoln's encounters showcase his political techniques, including his skill in conversation and his ability to use his story as a mask, controlling the conversation and choosing what to say or withhold. This book highlights the importance of Lincoln's ability to engage with people who differed, making his beliefs actionable and making a difference in the world.

Honest Abe Lincoln was a man who prioritized his own interests and acted out of self-interest. He focused on winning fights he had to win to avoid losing everything. Lincoln's reticence and eloquence reflected his understanding of his limitations and the democratic system. He used the word interest more often than liberty, freedom, or moral, and referred to people's motives, such as their self-interest. He embraced the spoils system, where election winners distributed government jobs to political supporters.

Lincoln appealed to the white electorate's self-interest against slavery, arguing that workers in free states must resist it or it would harm them. He focused on the self-interest of Black workers, who were denied their equal right to be paid for their labor. When white men questioned emancipation during the Civil War, Lincoln responded by invoking self-interest twice, stating that Black men were fighting for the Union, which was in the national interest.

Lincoln navigated between political reality while trying not to lose sight of his moral compass. He operated within the basic constitutional structure, with the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, and clashes between state and federal authority. The book is divided into three movements: Coalition, Separation, and Union, which form a narrative of Lincoln's life as seen through his encounters.

PROTAGONIST: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

1809–1846

Abraham Lincoln, born in 1816, faced numerous challenges during his early years. His father lost his farm and moved to Indiana, where he worked tirelessly to clear trees. His mother died of a mysterious illness, and he returned to Kentucky to find a new wife. Abraham's self-education was credited with his ability to read and write, but his reading was limited to books within reach. He believed that education was defective and needed a different form of learning: studying fellow human beings.

Lincoln's self-education was not extensive, as he learned to write by scratching letters on wood and walking for miles to borrow books. He learned to understand others' thoughts and feelings through writing confidential letters. By his twenties, he found his mind a great storehouse of facts, acquired through reading and observation. He became a good listener and talker, often repeating sermons and telling jokes and stories.

When he was twenty-one, his family moved to Illinois, where he attended a rally for political candidates. He gave his own speech, an early sign of his invincible confidence. He had experiences that allowed him to prove himself, such as crewing a cargo boat to New Orleans, enduring treacherous currents, and driving off would-be robbers.

Lincoln lived in New Salem, a frontier-style settlement without a single brick house or paved street. He got a job there in 1831, clerking for the man who ran the mill and a nearby store. Despite being six feet four and broke, he followed political news, reading newspapers when he could get them, and eventually hoarding enough cash to subscribe to the Louisville Daily Journal.

The Journal reported a divide in the nation between Andrew Jackson and the Whig Party, led by Henry Clay. Lincoln, a member of the Whig Party, followed Clay into opposition, requiring him to build relationships with people with differing political views. He met the Clary's Grove Boys, a group of lawless toughs from a nearby farm community, who supported his ambitions. Lincoln's skill with words and his ability to resist bullying helped him befriend the Clary's Grove Boys and support their ambitions.

In 1832, the Clary's Grove Boys voted twice for Lincoln, first when the state raised troops to fight Black Hawk, a chief of the Sauk people. Lincoln then ran for the state legislature, receiving almost all the votes from both parties in the New Salem precinct. He lost his clerk's job and started his own store that failed, leaving him in debt. However, Democrats helped him again, hiring him as postmaster of New Salem and serving as a part-time deputy.

Lincoln began his climb into the Illinois elite, becoming a veteran and leading the Whig minority. He supported bridges and canals, proposed reforming a law concerning insolvent debtors, and studied law. He moved to Springfield and spent time with wealthy Whigs, including Joshua Speed and Mary Todd, who married him.

In summary, Lincoln's journey through the Illinois political landscape was marked by his friendships, political connections, and personal experiences.

Lincoln, a man who had always been humble and modest, played a