Summary of James M. McPherson's Tried by War

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Lincoln was president-elect when the South Carolina legislature voted to secede from the Union. He began to explore what his options would be when he took office, and what he believed was that the government had the legal right to maintain its integrity.

#2 Lincoln was loath to take the threats of secession seriously. He believed that an underlying Unionism remained strong in slave states, even those that had seceded. He tried to assure people that there would be no blood shed during the war.

#3 Lincoln’s speeches showed that he was not willing to use force to reclaim federal property. He was willing to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, but he was not willing to invade any states.

#4 The question of whether to pull out the troops or send them in reinforcements to hold Fort Sumter was one of the most difficult decisions that Lincoln had to make as president.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822526631

IRB Media

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Insights on James M. McPherson's Tried by War

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Lincoln was president-elect when the South Carolina legislature voted to secede from the Union. He began to explore what his options would be when he took office, and what he believed was that the government had the legal right to maintain its integrity.

#2

Lincoln was loath to take the threats of secession seriously. He believed that an underlying Unionism remained strong in slave states, even those that had seceded. He tried to assure people that there would be no blood shed during the war.

#3

Lincoln’s speeches showed that he was not willing to use force to reclaim federal property. He was willing to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, but he was not willing to invade any states.

#4

The question of whether to pull out the troops or send them in reinforcements to hold Fort Sumter was one of the most difficult decisions that Lincoln had to make as president.

#5

Lincoln’s trials began when he received the bombshell letter from Major Anderson stating that he could not hold out for more than six weeks. The president convened a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue, and five of the seven cabinet members recommended withdrawal in order to preserve the peace and calm passions. Only Montgomery Blair opposed evacuation.

#6

Lincoln was considering evacuating Sumter, but he was also considering other options. He was glad to hear someone propose something instead of telling him why it could not be done.

#7

The cabinet meeting on April 1 voted to reinforce Fort Sumter, and all but one voted to renew the effort to reinforce Fort Pickens. Lincoln had already made up his mind to send both expeditions, and he would have gone ahead even without a cabinet vote.

#8

On the