John Burt will sign copies of "Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism: Lincoln,
Douglas, and Moral Conflict" at 6 p.m. and then speak at the
museum's Union Theater at 6:30. The event is free, but
reservations are required. Visit
www.presidentlincoln.illinois.gov and click on "Special
event tickets and reservations."
"Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism" rejects the simple idea of labeling
Abraham Lincoln "right" and Stephen Douglas "wrong" in their 1858
battle for a U.S. Senate seat. Instead, it examines each man's goals
and political philosophy.
Burt concludes that Douglas was an opportunist, but one whose
major purpose was to avoid war at any cost. And Lincoln opposed
slavery and its expansion into new areas, but he was pragmatic
enough to accept its existence at first and only slowly embrace
abolition.
The New York Times review says Burt's Lincoln "is very much a
Lincoln for our time" and this book is "a work that every serious
student of Lincoln will have to read."
"This year is the 200th anniversary of Stephen Douglas' birth, so
it's the perfect time for a book that takes a new look at him and
his political differences with Lincoln," said Eileen Mackevich,
executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum. "John Burt has written a wonderful book and will deliver a
thought-provoking, entertaining evening when he visits the
presidential library."
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Burt, an English professor at Brandeis University, spent 26 years
researching and writing "Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is home to an
unparalleled collection of Lincoln documents and artifacts that help
scholars make new discoveries about the 16th president. The
institution also combines cutting-edge technology with traditional
museum techniques to present Lincoln's story to the world.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year
except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
[Text from
Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
file received from the
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
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