Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Lincoln's Last Trial/ Dan Abrams/ 287 pgs

This was a book discussion title that details the very last trial Abraham Lincoln participated in before he ran for president in 1860. I found all of the historical details fascinating but the walk through of the trial itself to be a bit tedious. As well, Abrams repeats a lot of anecdotes. The trial took place in Springfield, IL and a man named Robert Hitt transcribed it using a form of shorthand. Hitt had done the same with the Lincoln and Douglas debates. Abrams used this transcript (found in an attic) to recreate the trial on the written page. A man named Quinn Harrison was on trial for the murder of Greek Crafton. Lincoln's strategy was self-defense and it was interesting to see how he handled the trial and to see how the law and the way trials run have evolved since 1859.

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