Lincoln, Land, and Labor, 1809-60

How did Abraham Lincoln's agrarian background shape his worldview? In Lincoln, Land, and Labor the French scholar Olivier Fraysse traces Lincoln's problematic relationship with and ideas about the land and those who worked it, revealing Lincoln as an intelligent and ambitious man who in fact turned his back on his rural roots for a time in favor of the opportunities offered in law and politics. In revealing Lincoln's estrangement from the rural masses and analyzing his perception of the differences between free and slave labor, Fraysse illuminates Lincoln's ideas on agriculture and industry, the disposal of public lands, and the place of blacks and Indians in American life. The author provides useful and provocative insights about Lincoln's career as an Illinois legislator and congressman and ties the theme of the land to Lincoln's growing interest in slavery. Fraysse assesses Lincoln's career using explicit references to class analysis. The author concludes that the slavery issue, by bridging the differences between rich and poor, made possible the formation of a strong Republican party.