Table Of ContentLander
LINC OLN
L
I &
Separated by an ocean but joined in born on the same day in 1809,
“Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common N
their ideas, Lincoln and Darwin acted as Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin
than their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and
trailblazers, leading their societies toward their positions on race shared significant similarities. This C DARW IN were true contemporaries. Though shaped
greater freedom of thought and a greater O by vastly different environments, they had
stimulating book offers new insights on these two nineteenth-
acceptance of human equality. This fasci- remarkably similar values, purposes, and
century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today.” L
nating biographical examination brings approaches. In this exciting new study,
—james m. mcpherson, author of Tried by War:
the mid-nineteenth-century discourse N James Lander places these two iconic men
Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief
about race, science, and humanitarian sen- & side by side and reveals the parallel views
sibility to the forefront using the mutual they shared of man and God.
“A superbly sympathetic discussion of the core beliefs of two
interests and pursuits of these two historic While Lincoln is renowned for his
of the greatest minds of the nineteenth century, linked in D
figures. oratorical prowess and for the Eman-
their fight against the twin monsters of scientific racism and Shared Visions
A cipation Proclamation, as well as many
religious bigotry. In lucid prose and copious historical detail,
other accomplishments, his scientific and
Lander uses Darwin to shed light on Lincoln and Lincoln to R
technological interests are not widely rec-
shed light on Darwin. As Lander demonstrates, their humanity
W ognized; for example, many Americans
and intelligence shine forth even more brightly when seen in of Race, Science,
do not know that Lincoln is the only U.S.
juxtaposition. A compelling book.”
president to obtain a patent. Darwin, on
—christoph irmscher, author of I
John Smalley The Poetics of Natural History N and Religion teshinoetni ofiatcthe a eccroh hmieavmnedmit, miesn ectnset lb etubotr tanhtoeedt a fbfooorr lh ihtiiisos p nsac osi--f
“Lincoln and Darwin is a seamless parallel examination of two
James Lander teaches history at TASIS slavery, which in part drove his research
great men whose complementary ideas changed the trajectory SS
American School in England. He is the au- ch in evolution. Both men took great pains
of human thought and fundamentally altered the course of ia
thor of Roman Stone Fortifications: Varia- enr to avoid causing unnecessary offense de-
history. This is an impressive book: accessible and readable, e
tion and Change from the First Century cd spite having abandoned traditional Chris-
and yet so thoughtful and penetrating as to compel the reader e
A.D. to the Fourth and Peter Labilliere: The , V tianity. Each had one main adversary who
periodically to close the cover and think about what it says.” ai
Man Buried Upside Down on Box Hill. ns endorsed scientific racism: Lincoln had
—jason emerson, author of Lincoln the Inventor dio
n Stephen A. Douglas, and Darwin had
R
s
e Louis Agassiz.
lo
if With graceful and sophisticated writ-
southern illinois university press $32.95 usd g R
i ing, Lander expands on these commonali-
isbn 0-8093-2990-5 oa
1915 university press drive isbn 978-0-8093-2990-8 nc ties and uncovers more shared connections
e
mail code 6806 , to people, politics, and events. He traces
carbondale, il 62901 how these two intellectual giants came to
James Lander
hold remarkably similar perspectives on
www.siupress.com
the evils of racism, the value of science, and
Printed in the United States of America Southern the uncertainties of conventional religion.
Jacket design by Mary Rohrer Illinois
University
Press
Lander cover mech.indd 1 6/15/10 1:51 PM
Lander
LINC OLN
L
I &
Separated by an ocean but joined in born on the same day in 1809,
“Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln had more in common N
their ideas, Lincoln and Darwin acted as Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin
than their birth on the same day. Both abhorred slavery, and
trailblazers, leading their societies toward their positions on race shared significant similarities. This C DARW IN were true contemporaries. Though shaped
greater freedom of thought and a greater O by vastly different environments, they had
stimulating book offers new insights on these two nineteenth-
acceptance of human equality. This fasci- remarkably similar values, purposes, and
century giants whose legacy still shapes our world today.” L
nating biographical examination brings approaches. In this exciting new study,
—james m. mcpherson, author of Tried by War:
the mid-nineteenth-century discourse N James Lander places these two iconic men
Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief
about race, science, and humanitarian sen- & side by side and reveals the parallel views
sibility to the forefront using the mutual they shared of man and God.
“A superbly sympathetic discussion of the core beliefs of two
interests and pursuits of these two historic While Lincoln is renowned for his
of the greatest minds of the nineteenth century, linked in D
figures. oratorical prowess and for the Eman-
their fight against the twin monsters of scientific racism and Shared Visions
A cipation Proclamation, as well as many
religious bigotry. In lucid prose and copious historical detail,
other accomplishments, his scientific and
Lander uses Darwin to shed light on Lincoln and Lincoln to R
technological interests are not widely rec-
shed light on Darwin. As Lander demonstrates, their humanity
W ognized; for example, many Americans
and intelligence shine forth even more brightly when seen in of Race, Science,
do not know that Lincoln is the only U.S.
juxtaposition. A compelling book.”
president to obtain a patent. Darwin, on
—christoph irmscher, author of I
John Smalley The Poetics of Natural History N and Religion teshinoetni ofiatcthe a eccroh hmieavmnedmit, miesn ectnset lb etubotr tanhtoeedt a fbfooorr lh ihtiiisos p nsac osi--f
“Lincoln and Darwin is a seamless parallel examination of two
James Lander teaches history at TASIS slavery, which in part drove his research
great men whose complementary ideas changed the trajectory SS
American School in England. He is the au- ch in evolution. Both men took great pains
of human thought and fundamentally altered the course of ia
thor of Roman Stone Fortifications: Varia- enr to avoid causing unnecessary offense de-
history. This is an impressive book: accessible and readable, e
tion and Change from the First Century cd spite having abandoned traditional Chris-
and yet so thoughtful and penetrating as to compel the reader e
A.D. to the Fourth and Peter Labilliere: The , V tianity. Each had one main adversary who
periodically to close the cover and think about what it says.” ai
Man Buried Upside Down on Box Hill. ns endorsed scientific racism: Lincoln had
—jason emerson, author of Lincoln the Inventor dio
n Stephen A. Douglas, and Darwin had
R
s
e Louis Agassiz.
lo
if With graceful and sophisticated writ-
southern illinois university press $32.95 usd g R
i ing, Lander expands on these commonali-
isbn 0-8093-2990-5 oa
1915 university press drive isbn 978-0-8093-2990-8 nc ties and uncovers more shared connections
e
mail code 6806 , to people, politics, and events. He traces
carbondale, il 62901 how these two intellectual giants came to
James Lander
hold remarkably similar perspectives on
www.siupress.com
the evils of racism, the value of science, and
Printed in the United States of America Southern the uncertainties of conventional religion.
Jacket design by Mary Rohrer Illinois
University
Press
Lander cover mech.indd 1 6/15/10 1:51 PM
&
Lincoln Darwin
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BLANK
LINCOLN
&
DARWIN
Shared Visions
of Race, Science,
and Religion
James Lander
Southern Illinois University Press
Carbondale and Edwardsville
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Copyright © 2010 by the Board of Trustees,
Southern Illinois University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
13 12 11 10 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lander, James.
Lincoln and Darwin : shared visions of race, science, and
religion / James Lander.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-2990-8 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8093-2990-5 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-8586-7 (ebook)
ISBN-10: 0-8093-8586-4 (ebook)
1. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809–1865—Philosophy. 2. Lincoln,
Abraham, 1809–1865—Religion. 3. Darwin, Charles, 1809–
1882—Philosophy. 4. Darwin, Charles, 1809–1882—Religion.
5. Presidents—United States—Biography. 6. Naturalists—Great
Britain—Biography. I. Title.
E457.2.L226 2010
973.7092—dc22 2009041678
Printed on recycled paper.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements of American National Standard for Informa-
tion Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ansi z39.48-1992. ∞
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For Sarah, who has been so patient and encouraging
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BLANK
And on this day, that is also the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth, it’s
worth a moment to pause and renew that commitment to science and in-
novation and discovery that Lincoln understood so well.
—President Barack Obama, addressing the Abraham Lincoln
Association, in Springfield, Illinois, on 12 February 2009
You must allow me to thank you heartily for the very great pleasure which
it has in many ways given us. I always thought well of the negroes, from
the little which I have seen of them; and I have been delighted to have my
vague impressions confirmed, and their character and mental powers so
ably discussed.
—Charles Darwin to former Union general
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, praising his book
Life with a Black Regiment, 27 February 1873
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