Lincoln, Slavery and Dred Scott

Central Character of the Course: Abraham Lincoln plays a crucial role in the entire course, mentioned briefly in a prior session.

Birth: Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.
Parents: His parents are Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln.
Place of Birth: Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, in a log cabin.
Family Move: In 1818, Lincoln's parents moved north across the Ohio River to Southern Indiana.
Childhood Trauma: Lincoln experiences the death of his mother during his childhood.
Stepmother: Thomas Lincoln remarries, and Abraham gains a stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston, who treats him kindly. Their relationship is contrasted with Lincoln's more strained relationship with his father, Thomas Lincoln.

Leaving Home: At the age of 21, he decides to leave home and seek his own path, contrasting with his father's agrarian lifestyle.
Business Ventures: He engages in short-lived business attempts in New Salem, neither succeeding significantly.
Political Career Start: In 1834, Lincoln is elected to the Illinois State Legislature, marking the beginning of his political career.
- He serves four terms as a Whig, embodying the Whig ethos of self-transformation and improvement.

Whig Ethos: Lincoln's political philosophy emphasizes self-transformation and self-improvement through free labor.
- He believes in the just and generous system that offers hope and the possibility of advancement to all individuals, contrasting sharply with slavery.
Contrast with Slavery: Lincoln dismisses the argument made by James Henry Hammond that societies need a permanent class of laborers (or a “mud sill class”) to perform menial labor. He asserts that in Illinois, there is no permanent class of hired laborers, emphasizing the potential for advancement in a society of equals.

Becoming a Lawyer: Lincoln decides to study law, apprenticing under John Todd Stewart in Springfield, Illinois.
Legal Practice: He establishes a broad legal practice as a civil lawyer, specializing in civil cases (e.g., wills, estates, trespass cases, and collections), and by the 1850s, he represents over 300 cases in busy years.
Trial Lawyer Skills: Lincoln’s experiences as a trial lawyer on the Eighth Judicial Circuit hone his skills in convincing juries and articulating complex arguments.
Financial Success: By the 1850s, Lincoln accrues financial stability, with fees reaching as high as $5,000 per case.

Marriage to Mary Todd: Lincoln marries Mary Todd in 1842, who hails from a wealthier background than his own. This marriage marks a significant social ascension for Lincoln into the Illinois Whig elite.
Complex Personality: Despite social and financial success, Lincoln faces a persistent melancholy he refers to as