Brain Fuel

The name Abraham Lincoln is practically synonymous with political greatness. Every politician — Democrats as well as those of his own party, the Republicans —claims him as an inspiration. But what is Lincoln’s true legacy to America and the world? What were his views on race and slavery? How did he manage to save the Union when even members of his own party were willing to see it break up into two nations? As we approach the 200th birthday of Lincoln’s birth, Columbia’s Professor Delbanco will examine Lincoln as a myth—the legendary “Father Abraham” and “Honest Abe”—while illuminating the political, literary, and moral genius of Lincoln as a man.