Lincoln Letters

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 6.1K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Lincoln Letters by Abraham LincolnAuthor: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865,Language: English, Class: E456: History: America: Civil War period (1861-1865), Release Date: May 1, 2005

Editor's review

Lincoln Letters collects the correspondence of Abraham Lincoln. A public-domain historical document presented in the original English, its value lies not in polished prose but in giving readers direct access to the tone, judgment, and feeling of an American Civil War political figure in his private correspondence. The epistolary form carries an inherent sense of immediacy, revealing more sides of the man than secondhand biographical material. As a free Project Gutenberg eBook, it is easily accessible and suits readers new to English primary sources as well as students of history writing, speech research, or English learners doing excerpt reading and imitation exercises. It is best treated as both historical source and text: one can observe the vocabulary of nineteenth-century American politics and society, and sense the tension of the letter form between public and private. Note that this is the original English edition, and the epistolary form lacks continuous narrative; first-time readers may find it fragmentary, so reading selectively with questions in mind is advised over reading straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with basic knowledge of American history and Lincoln's life who want primary sources
Students who need English historical materials for speeches, writing, or history projects
English readers who enjoy the epistolary form and fragmented reading
Readers who want low-cost eBooks to access public-domain English classics

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers seeking a systematic, continuous biographical narrative
Readers with limited English proficiency who need Chinese translation and notes
General fiction readers expecting a plot-driven literary work

Reading tips

Read introductory background material first, then select letters in chronological order rather than spreading effort evenly from start to finish.
Keep a notebook and jot down recurring words and positions to help summarize shifts in the subject's tone.
Read only three to five letters at a time, then retell the main points in your own words to test comprehension rather than speed.
Read alongside a Lincoln biography and use the original letters to check the selections and biases of secondhand accounts.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or the original English?

The material indicates the book's language is English; it is an English eBook released by Project Gutenberg with the original English text. Chinese readers need some English reading ability or should use a dictionary and background materials, as the book provides no Chinese translation or notes.

Can I read this book without a history background?

Yes, but it is advisable to first acquire basic background on the American Civil War; otherwise the names, events, and political context in the letters may hinder understanding. Treat the book as selected historical source reading rather than an introduction, and read with a brief chronology for smoother progress.

Is a letter collection better read straight through or selectively?

Selective reading is more suitable. The letters are relatively independent with no continuous narrative thread, and reading straight through can be tiring. Read by theme or time period, organizing key points after each section, preserving the immediacy of primary material while reducing the reading burden.

Is this eBook free?

The material indicates the book is released by Project Gutenberg, a platform known for providing free eBooks, so access cost is very low. Specific download and usage terms are subject to the platform's rules, which readers can consult themselves.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Author

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was an American political figure, best known for leading the nation through the Civil War and for advancing the abolition of slavery during his presidency. This site holds 23 of his works, including the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and several volumes of his papers and writings, many of which center on the Lincoln-Douglas debates, wartime political decisions, and his speeches. These texts are marked by clear, restrained, and forceful expression, offering both a sense of the historical moment and Lincoln's commitment to Union and freedom. Public information is limited; this note draws only on the works in the collection to outline his subjects and influence, without unverified personal details.