The Real Lincoln

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The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War is a biography of Abraham Lincoln written by Thomas DiLorenzo in 2002. The biography differs from traditional books about Lincoln in presenting a severely critical view of his presidency.

In discussing Lincoln's legacy, DiLorenzo presents evidence of civil liberties abuses such as the suspension of habeas corpus, violations of the first amendment, war crimes committed by generals in the American Civil War, and the expansion of government power. DiLorenzo argues that Lincoln's views on race exhibited forms of bigotry that are commonly overlooked today (See Abraham Lincoln on slavery). DiLorenzo also argues that Lincoln instigated the Civil War not over slavery but rather to centralize power and to enforce the strongly protectionist Morrill Tariff; similarly, he criticizes Lincoln for his strong support of Henry Clay's American System.

[edit] Criticisms

Among the criticisms of The Real Lincoln was a review by Claremont Institute scholar Ken Masugi in the conservative National Review. According to Masugi's review, The Real Lincoln fails to take into account the necessities imposed upon Lincoln by the South's secession. Masugi accuses DiLorenzo of failing to recognize that "a disunited America might have become prey for the designs of European imperial powers, which would have put an end to the experiment in self-government."^[1]

DiLorenzo has responded to several of his critics at the Claremont Institute. According to DiLorenzo, Masugi is selective in his presentation about Lincoln and "relies entirely on a few of Lincoln’s prettier speeches, ignoring his less attractive ones as well as his actual behavior."^[2]

Richard Gamble in Independent Review states that "The Real Lincoln... seriously compromised by careless errors of fact... is essentially correct in every charge it makes against Lincoln, making it all the more frustrating to the sympathetic reader."^[3]