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Shop nowA Just and Generous Nation
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Learn moreIn A Just and Generous Nation, the eminent historian Harold Holzer and the noted economist Norton Garfinkle present a groundbreaking new account of the beliefs that inspired our sixteenth president to go to war when the Southern states seceded from the Union. Rather than a commitment to eradicating slavery or a defense of the Union, they argue that Lincolnās guiding principle was the defense of equal economic opportunity.
Lincoln firmly believed that the governmentās primary role was to ensure that all Americans had the opportunity to better their station in life. As president, he worked tirelessly to enshrine this ideal within the federal government. He funded railroads and canals, supported education, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which opened the door for former slaves to join white Americans in striving for self-improvement. In our own age of unprecedented inequality, A Just and Generous Nation reestablishes Lincolnās legacy as the protector not just of personal freedom but of the American dream itself.
Harold Holzer has authored, coauthored, and edited more than thirty books on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. He serves as chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation, and is a Roger Hertog Fellow at the New York Historical Society. Currently he is senior vice president for external affairs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and lives in Rye, New York.
Norton Garfinkle is an economist and chair of the Future of American Democracy Foundation. He is the coauthor of A Just and Generous Nation with Harold Holzer. He lives in New York City.
Barry Press has been an active professional actor, director, and teacher for over thirty-five years. He has performed off Broadway and at numerous regional theaters from Alaska to Florida. He is founder and artistic director of Living Literature, a Rhode Islandābased literacy program.
Reviews
āLincolnās legacy includes not only the preservation of the Union and the abolition of slavery, but also the use of government to promote economic opportunity and upward mobility for all Americans. As the authors of this eye-opening study convincingly demonstrate, the modern Republican party has repudiated this legacy by embracing policies that have promoted increasing inequality and a society that closes off opportunity.ā
āHolzer and Garfinkle have written a stimulating book. They describe convincingly Lincolnās core conviction that government must foster equal opportunity in order to build and sustain a strong middle class. With clarity and passion, they show Lincoln the pragmatist working toward that end.ā
āThe authors maintain that the overriding factor behind Lincolnās response to the secession of the Southern states was his commitment to pursuing āeconomic opportunity for the widest possible circle of hardworking Americansāā¦The thesis is sure to be controversial, but Holzer and Garfinkle make their point well.ā
āWill generate much-needed debate on the history, efficacy, and morality of governmentās role and responsibility in shaping an economy of fairness and growth. The future of America depends on that question.ā
āCompellingā¦A well-honed work of driving focus, particularly timely in this new era of economic inequality.ā
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