The Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln — Volume 1: 1832-1843

This volume captures Abraham Lincoln before he became the martyred president. The years 1832-1843 trace his transformation from railroad laborer to Illinois legislator to respected lawyer, and the documents here reveal the intellectual foundations of a man who would guide a nation through its darkest hours. Here is the young Lincoln arguing for the rule of law in his famous Lyceum address, wrestling with the moral contradictions of slavery, and developing the plainspoken moral philosophy that would later define his presidency. The writings show his self-education, his wit, his relentless ambition, and his gradual awakening to the moral weight of the slavery question. Theodore Roosevelt's introduction frames Lincoln as a study in leadership, while Carl Schurz's essay examines how a humble backwoodsman became a principled statesman. For anyone who wants to understand how Lincoln became Lincoln, these early papers are essential.