Holland's Life of Abraham Lincoln

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Summary: Lincolnia in the Making
Review: In 1866 Abraham Lincoln was far from the icon of American leadership and democracy that he later became, but he was already in the process of becoming. That was in no small measure because of the work of Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1881), whose "Life of Abraham Lincoln" was the first full-scale post-assassination biography of Lincoln and a pathmarker that fundamentally shaped the contours of Lincolnia. Published less than a year after Lincoln's death, Holland told the now well-worn stories of young Lincoln earning his first silver dollar as a rail-splitter, about his repayment for a ruined book, about the millhorse's kick to his head, about his wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, and about the fabled Lincoln sense of humor and wit. Always, Holland wrote in an accessible, homey manner about Lincoln the man and the patriot, about Lincoln the husband and father, and about Lincoln the moral leader of a nation at war.

For example, Holland asserted repeatedly in this biography that Lincoln had been an opponent of slavery his entire life and had always planned for emancipation. A debatable contention at best, but one that certainly hearkened back to the moral vision expressed in the Declaration of Independence penned nearly a century earlier. The assertion certainly fixed the image of the man as a champion of the highest ideals of the republic. Also debatable, and certainly it was roundly attacked at the time by several of Lincoln's associates, was Holland's assertion that Lincoln was the very model of a Christian leader. Such longtime associates as William Herndon condemned Holland's declaration of Lincoln's religious ideals as bogus.

Holland based his biography on relatively extensive interviews with those who knew Lincoln and on the written materials then readily available. Accordingly, there is a depth of coverage not present in many of the other early Lincoln biographies. At the same time, Holland was essentially Lincoln's Parson Weems, making a myth of the fallen leader second to only that accorded George Washington. As Allen C. Guelzo notes in an excellent introduction to the volume, Holland engaged in oversentimentality, drawing overt morals from the life and career of Lincoln. Holland's Lincoln, as Guelzo states, "was unapologetically the champion of 'strength and moderation' and the opposition, whether from John Charles Frémont or Clement Vallandigham, was 'irresponsible' or 'treasonable'" (pp. viii-ix). Because of these weaknesses, most modern Lincoln scholars have dismissed Holland's biography without serious consideration.

As a study in the process of myth-making, however, this book is important. Its availability in this reprint addition may provide grist for future studies. As such it is a welcome addition to historical literature.