Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln

• “The Morel and White volume is of such obvious interest to scholars and citizens that one is surprised something like it has not already been published. They have done a great service compiling and publishing (in some cases for the first time) sources documenting Douglass’s views of Lincoln.” – Law and Liberty• “Compiled by Lucas E. Morel, the John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University, and Jonathan W. White, professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University, the anthology gathers remarks culled from speeches, editorials, and letters from 1858 to 1894, including a dozen previously unknown pieces.” - Claremont Review of Books • “ Measuring the Man” is more than simply a rebuttal of a misperception. It lays out candidly how much of Douglass’s understanding of Lincoln wobbled, for years, between poles of approval and despair. - National ReviewIn Measuring the Man, acclaimed scholars Lucas E. Morel and Jonathan W. White assemble Frederick Douglass’s most meaningful and poignant statements about Abraham Lincoln, including a dozen newly discovered documents that have not been seen for 160 years. Readers will encounter the distrust and vitriol Douglass directed at Lincoln throughout much of the Civil War, including his anger and frustration with the president as he moved slowly, but methodically, toward emancipation. Douglass’s writings also reveal how three personal interactions between these two great men led to powerful feelings of friendship and mutual admiration. After Lincoln’s assassination—as Jim Crow laws and political violence gutted the hard-won rights of Black Americans—Douglass expressed greater appreciation for Lincoln’s statesmanship during the Civil War and praised him as a model for postwar America. There is no one better than Frederick Douglass to offer a critical assessment of the Great Emancipator and savior of the Union. His reflections not only convey Lincoln’s contributions to the nation but also teach today’s generation timely lessons on how to fulfill the promise of the American republic. Measuring the Man sheds new light on the most critical period of American history and will transform the way we think about these two extraordinary leaders. Read more