A New Birth of Freedom : Abraham Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War (with New Foreword)

When it originally appeared, A New Birth of Freedom represented a milestone in Lincoln studies, the culmination of over a half a century of study and reflection by one of America's foremost scholars of American politics. Now reissued on the centenary of Jaffa’s birth with a new foreword by the esteemed Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo, this long-awaited sequel to Jaffa’s earlier classic, Crisis of the House Divided, offers a piercing examination of the political thought of Abraham Lincoln and the themes of self-government, equality, and statesmanship on the eve of the Civil War. “Four decades ago, Harry Jaffa offered powerful insights on the Lincoln-Douglas debates in his Crisis of the House Divided. In this long-awaited sequel, he picks up the threads of that earlier study in this stimulating new interpretation of the showdown conflict between slavery and freedom in the election of 1860 and the secession crisis that followed. Every student of Lincoln needs to read and ponder this book.”— James M. McPherson, Princeton University “A masterful synthesis and analysis of the contending political philosophies on the eve of the Civil War. A magisterial work that arrives after a lifetime of scholarship and reflection—and earns our gratitude as well as our respect.”— Kirkus Reviews “The essence of Jaffa's case—meticulously laid out over nearly 500 pages—is that the Constitution is not, as Lincoln put it, a 'free love arrangement' held together by passing fancy. It is an indissoluble compact in which all men consent to be governed by majority, provided their inalienable rights are preserved.”— Bret Stephens; The Wall Street Journal Harry V. Jaffa Illuminates Lincoln's Understanding Of The Concepts Of Self-government, Equality, And Statesmanship, And He Offers Penetrating Insights Into Lincoln's Refutation Of The Political Philosophy And Constitutional Interpretations Of John C. Calhoun And The Southern Secessionists. A New Birth Of Freedom Is A Work Of Major Importance That Will Require All Americans To Reevaluate Their Understanding Of Abraham Lincoln, Especially His Decision To Prosecute The Bloodiest War Of American History.--jacket. The Election Of 1800 And The Election Of 1860 -- The Declaration Of Independence, The Gettysburg Address, And Historians -- The Divided American Mind On The Eve Of Conflict: James Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, And Alexander Stephens Survey The Crisis -- The Mind Of Lincoln's Inaugural And The Argument And Action Of The Debate That Shaped It, I -- The Mind Of Lincoln's Inaugural And The Argument And Action Of The Debate That Shaped It, Ii -- July 4, 1861: Lincoln Tells Why The Union Must Be Preserved -- Slavery, Succession, And State Rights: The Political Teaching Of John C. Calhoun -- Appendix: The Dividing Line Between Federal And Local Authority: Popular Sovereignty In The Territories: A Commentary. Harry V. Jaffa. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 489-535) And Index. A New Birth of Freedom is the culmination of over a half a century of study and reflection by one of America's foremost scholars of American politics, Harry V. Jaffa. This long-awaited sequel to Crisis of the House Divided, first published in 1959, continues Jaffa's piercing examination of the political thought of Abraham Lincoln and the themes of self-government, equality, and statesmanship. Whereas Crisis of the House Divided focused on the famous senate campaign debates between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, this volume expands and deepens Jaffa's analysis of American political thought, and gives special attention to Lincoln's refutation of the arguments of John C. Calhoun-the intellectual champion of the Confederacy "Harry V. Jaffa illuminates Lincoln's understanding of the concepts of self-government, equality, and statesmanship, and he offers penetrating insights into Lincoln's refutation of the political philosophy and constitutional interpretations of John C. Calhoun and the southern secessionists. A New Birth of Freedom is a work of major importance that will require all Americans to reevaluate their understanding of Abraham Lincoln, especially his decision to prosecute the bloodiest war of American history."--BOOK JACKET. British / French colonial war. Now reissued on the centenary of Jaffa's birth with a new foreword by the esteemed Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo, this long-awaited sequel offers a piercing examination of the political thought of Abraham Lincoln and the themes of self-government, equality, and statesmanship on... This is the sequel to "Crisis of the House Divided", and continues the examination of the political thought of Abraham Lincoln and the themes of self-government, equality, and statesmanship. This volume focuses on Lincoln's refutation of the arguments of John C. Calhoun, a Confederacy sympathiser. Forty years in the making and eagerly awaited by historians, "A New Birth of Freedom" describes Lincoln's thought in the face of the approaching Civil War. Jaffa is at his all-time best when he illuminates Lincoln's intellectual conflict with the philosopher of the Confederacy, John C. Calhoun.