Abraham Lincoln and the American Experiment in Self-Government revisits the most pressing question of the republic’s past and present: Can a nation founded on the principles of liberty and equality sustain itself through crisis? Leveraging an interdisciplinary group of senior and emerging scholars, this book offers a sweeping re-examination of Lincoln’s political thought and statesmanship. Through probing analyses of his rhetoric, constitutionalism, moral philosophy, and wartime leadership, the collection reveals Lincoln’s enduring insights into how free societies can preserve themselves. Together, these essays illuminate how Lincoln’s example can guide Americans seeking to sustain self-government in the twenty-first century.

Jason W. Stevens is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Master of Arts in American History and Government at Ashland University, where he also serves as co-director of the Ashbrook Scholar Program. He is the editor of Causes of the Civil War: Core Documents (2019).