Introduction
Abraham Lincoln came of age amidst the Second Great Awakening in the first half of the 19th century. Lincoln may or may not have been a deeply religious man, but in his writings he sought to combine Christian motifs and an emphasis on reason. It is clear that Lincoln was not a consistent member of any Christian congregation as many others were during the early 19th century. Instead, he maintained the use of religious language throughout many of his writings without appearing very religious in his daily life. The one religious theme that runs through his writings is a sense of fatalism or the belief that God has a plan which is beyond human control.
Lincoln's religion has been a topic of focus for many historians and this site will explore a few examples of fatalism in his writings. It will look at how historians have interpreted this fatalism. To start there is a page dedicated to the arguments of Professor Carwardine to provide background on Lincoln's religion. The documents chosen to show Lincoln's fatalism are the Meditation on the Divine Will, Proclamation of Thanksgiving, Second Inaugural Address, and Reply to Eliza Gurney.
Lincoln's religion has been a topic of focus for many historians and this site will explore a few examples of fatalism in his writings. It will look at how historians have interpreted this fatalism. To start there is a page dedicated to the arguments of Professor Carwardine to provide background on Lincoln's religion. The documents chosen to show Lincoln's fatalism are the Meditation on the Divine Will, Proclamation of Thanksgiving, Second Inaugural Address, and Reply to Eliza Gurney.
Objective/Purpose
The goal of this website is to make some of Lincoln's writings accessible to students and teachers in a high school history course. It can then be used to explore the idea of religion in mid-19th century America using Abraham Lincoln. An activity page can be found here or in the site menu.
Site Navigation
To navigate on this site, use the HOME button located in the lower left of the screen to access all sub-pages. If it is inaccessible, use the table of contents.
Table of Contents
Classroom Connection
Carwardine's Take
Meditation on the Divine Will
Thanksgiving Proclamation
Second Inaugural Address
Reply to Eliza Gurney
Table of Contents
Classroom Connection
Carwardine's Take
Meditation on the Divine Will
Thanksgiving Proclamation
Second Inaugural Address
Reply to Eliza Gurney
Created By
This website was created by Ian McDougall as the final project for the Gilder Lehrman Master's Degree in American History course Understanding Lincoln taught by Professor Matthew Pinsker of Dickinson College. All classroom activities/worksheets, Carwardine's Take & Critique, the close readings for the Proclamation of Thanksgiving & Meditation on the Divine Will, and the video close reading of the Reply to Eliza Gurney were created by Ian McDougall. All content created by others has been sourced at the bottom of each page.
Image Source
Image used throughout site:
Gardener, Alexander. Abraham Lincoln. November 8, 1863. Washington, DC. In Wikimedia Commons. Accessed July 16, 2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia /commons/a/ab/Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg.
Gardener, Alexander. Abraham Lincoln. November 8, 1863. Washington, DC. In Wikimedia Commons. Accessed July 16, 2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia /commons/a/ab/Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg.