Lincoln's sword: the presidency and the power of words

Springfield farewell

A long foreground

A custom as old as the government

The message of July 4, 1861

Proclaiming emancipation

Public opinion

Rising with each new effort

The Gettysburg Address

A truth that needed to be told

Epilogue: A notable elevation of thought

Appendix: Lincoln's postdelivery revisions of the Gettysburg Address.