Lincoln's New Salem

by Benjamin P. Thomas, Ralph G. Newman (Forward), Romaine Proctor (Illustrator)

Thomas tells the story of the village where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. His three-part examination of the village often referred to as Lincoln’s "Alma Mater" features the founding and early history of New Salem, Lincoln’s impact on the village and its effect on him, and the story of the Lincoln legend and the reconstruction of the town.

Thomas argues convincingly that New Salem was the town where Lincoln acquired faith in himself, faith in people. At 22 the future president drifted into town seeking to become a blacksmith. Thomas introduces us to the people who created New Salem and who knew, influenced, and befriended Lincoln.

Thomas highlights Lincoln’s arrival, his relationships with his neighbors, his important wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, his self-education, his quiet career as an Indian fighter, his experience as a postmaster largely indifferent to postal regulations, his financial woes as a businessman, his loyal friends who often came to his aid, and his election to the legislature.

This colorful history closes with a discussion of the Lincoln legend. The truth of the stories is unimportant. What matters is that the growing Lincoln legend prompted the gradual realization that New Salem was not a dismal mire from which President Lincoln had had to extricate himself but was, in fact, an energizing force. This realization led to research and finally to the restoration of New Salem, which began in 1932.

Genres: History, Us Presidents

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

The son of a storekeeper, Benjamin Platt Thomas was two years old when his father died. After his mother's remarriage to a Baptist minister, Thomas moved frequently throughout the mid-Atlantic states. He earned his bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University, and returned after a brief period as a teacher and bond salesman to earn his doctorate. Upon receiving his Ph.D. in 1929 Thomas taught as an associate professor of history at Birmingham-Southern College, in Birmingham, Alabama.

In 1932, Thomas accepted an offer to become executive secretary of the Abraham Lincoln Association. In that role he edited the organization's quarterly publication and wrote two books published by the Association. Thomas left the Association in 1937 and worked in insurance and as a farmer for several years. He returned to the Abraham Lincoln Association in 1939 by becoming a director, and took up the position of the body's treasurer three years later. Thomas sold his insurance business in 1944 to focus on scholarship, and wrote a series of books, the most notable of which, his 1952 biography of Abraham Lincoln, became a national bestseller. He was working on a biography of Lincoln's second secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, when he committed suicide after receiving a diagnosis of throat cancer.

Reviews

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My older brother has been studying our family genealogy for years. Last August my husband, son and I visited Lincoln’s New Salem. When I told my brother we was going he informed me that we’re related to a lot of the people that had lived there and we’re friends with Lincoln- the Clarys, the Armstrong’s, the Greens and the Burners. Then when we were there I was awe inspired to see their names on various plaques! Now with this book I have read about them in a book as well.

[Keith Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to run across this book recently at a flea market and since I'm a Presidential historian and lover of Lincoln, I had to get the book. It was published in 1932 and this is an original edition of the book. It is divided into three sections: Settling New Salem (speaks of the early years from about 1828-1835 or so including the many different people who came there), Lincoln in New Salem (giving insights into his actions and trainings when he came there as a very young man), and then Restoring New Salem (the history of the attempts to restore the village to its then present day condition. Much of the information is referenced with references gleaned from letters, persons who were descended from the settlers, and others who wrote early of these experiences. He points out that Herndon's biography attempts to give more information of Lincoln's earlier years and his personal reflections as a law partner whereas Nicolay and Hay's works focus more on Lincoln as the President (from their personal experiences). It is interesting, however, that much of what was written was written years after Lincoln's death, as Thomas aptly points out when the legends of Lincoln were already beginning to be well firmed in people's minds. The book was an interesting yet short read into one of the most fascinating little villages in American history. It helps the reader to understand the significance of this place to the story of Lincoln.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short and somewhat older history book. What it lacks in proper citations it makes up for at reaching the heart of the matter. New Salem was the Illinois town that Lincoln settled in after he reached adulthood and struck out on his own. The first part of the book is a general history of New Salem and information on its settlers. The second part is a history of Lincoln's life while he lived there, and the third part is about the village site's later history and eventually becoming a state park.

I was interested in this mainly because I have ancestors who lived in this area at the time and have found multiple sources about them and their family members interacting with Lincoln in some way. That's sort of the point about its importance to Lincoln's life--he interacted with damn near anyone he could find.

[SheMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly readable book that both provides a detailed description of this short-lived village and explains how it was the crucible of the Lincoln of American history. It was there that he gained an education, first in the rudiments of English and math, then in surveying and finally in the law. In New Salem, Lincoln became a leader, both because of his role in the town's affairs and his brief service in the militia. He formed important friendships there that helped win him his first election to the state's legislature. Finally, it was where many of the legends of his life were born: Honest Abe, the romance with Ann Rutledge, the feats of strength, etc. The author also relates the interesting story of how New Salem was reborn in the 20th Century as one of many tourist attractions that grew as a result of the public's fascination with Lincoln.

[Bruce Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly charming book about a small town Lincoln lived in and arguably matured in, and which literally disappeared when commerce moved to other, more commercially-accessible towns. It’s delightful because it describes in minute detail the people, employment, businesses, habits, social activities, and everything else about the community. When the author offers disputed information, he notes the differences and explains why he believes in story is more accurate than another. The attraction of the story is clearly Lincoln — the town was rebuilt many years after its demise because of its importance in Lincoln’s early adult life — but it’s really the story of the town and its many residents. Absolutely loved it.

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third of three books I purchased a couple of months ago at a small private book store in St. Augustine, Florida.

All three turned out to be pretty good.

This book covers Lincoln's time in New Salem, Illinois where he lived for six years - 1831-37 where he grew as a man from 22 years to 28 years, before moving on to Springfield, Illinois.

It covers many of the personalities that lived in that small town while Lincoln was there and how they influenced him and how he influenced them. It was here that he learned how much larger his vision could be in this life, where he put the roots down relative to his honesty - a number of validated instances attesting to his essential honesty covered in the book.

It can be said that this where Lincoln and built confidence in himself and to essentially trust others. He continued his self education there - having the post office offered opportunities to read newspapers from across the west as it was called at the time (mid-west today).

It is clear that the base for his future success was established here through personal relationships, business, politics, "speechifying" and personal relations with others that involved both trust and ethical dealings. When the second of two stores he help to run/own in New Salem failed, his partner died leaving Lincoln the whole debt. Lincoln paid all of the debt for both men - took him a decade.

Such was Lincoln. www.lincolngogo.net

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat uneven history of the area where Abraham Lincoln first lived as a man. Thomas, who wrote the best single-volume life of Lincoln, often repeats himself unnecessarily and gets bogged down in some details, but overall this is an admirable book.