Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President

Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President collects and analyzes correspondence received by Abraham Lincoln during his presidency from 1861-1865. The letters came from citizens across the nation - soldiers, mothers, children, freed slaves, and political figures. Editor Harold Holzer presents both the original letters and historical context for each piece of correspondence. The book organizes the letters by theme, including military matters, slavery, personal requests, and advice to the president. Lincoln's responses to select letters are included when available, revealing his interaction with citizens during the Civil War period. The volume contains photographs and reproductions of original documents alongside the transcribed text. These personal communications offer insights into both the pressing issues of Lincoln's era and the relationship between a president and the public during a time of national crisis.

Readers found this collection of citizen letters to Lincoln offers raw, unfiltered perspectives on how Americans viewed their president during the Civil War. Many appreciated seeing both supportive and critical correspondence, noting it provides balance and historical context. Liked: - Letters reveal personal struggles and daily concerns of common people - Shows Lincoln's accessibility to average citizens - Includes responses from Lincoln's secretaries - Holzer's commentary adds helpful context Disliked: - Some felt the organization by topic rather than chronology made it harder to follow events - A few readers wanted more of Lincoln's direct responses - Limited coverage of post-war letters Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) One reader noted: "These letters humanize both Lincoln and the letter writers - you see real people wrestling with war, slavery, and loss." Another commented: "The analysis between chapters helps explain why certain types of letters arrived at certain times."

Lincoln in His Own Words by ::David Zarefsky:: This collection of Lincoln's letters and speeches reveals his personal thoughts and decision-making process through primary source documents.

The Adams-Jefferson Letters by ::Lester J. Cappon:: The correspondence between these founding fathers provides insight into early American leadership through private exchanges between presidents.

Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation by Ellen Fitzpatrick The letters written to Jackie Kennedy after JFK's assassination capture the relationship between presidents and citizens during moments of national crisis.

Dear FDR: A Study of Political Letter-Writing by ::Leila A. Sussmann:: Letters from citizens to President Roosevelt during the Depression and WWII demonstrate how Americans communicated with their leader during times of hardship.

Washington's Circle: The Creation of the President by ::David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler:: The personal correspondence between George Washington and his advisors reveals the formation of the American presidency through private communications.

🌟 Though Lincoln received around 250 letters per day while in office, only about 1 in 10 actually reached his desk - the rest were filtered by his secretaries 📜 The book features letters from famous figures like Frederick Douglass and Walt Whitman, as well as ordinary citizens including children and former slaves ✉️ Lincoln personally responded to more citizen letters than any previous president, often writing replies late at night after his regular work was done ⚔️ During the Civil War, Lincoln received numerous letters from mothers pleading for their sons to be released from military service or pardoned for desertion 🖋️ Author Harold Holzer is one of the country's leading Lincoln scholars, having written or edited over 50 books about Lincoln and the Civil War era