Congressman Lincoln
Condensed in full-blown biographies, Abraham Lincoln’s single term in the House of Representatives expands in this history. Its author, a legislative historian—DeRose’s Founding Rivals (2011) chronicled the 1788 congressional contest between James Madison and James Monroe—clothes Lincoln in the garb of the ambitious partisan that he was. As DeRose shows, Lincoln assiduously cultivated county-level support for his bid, seeing off intraparty Whig rivals and decisively defeating his Democratic opponent in 1846. Once ensconced in the Capitol, Lincoln intensified his partisanship by reproving President Polk for the Mexican war and becoming a de facto manager of General Zachary Taylor’s 1848 presidential campaign. While embellishing his narrative with rich period details, DeRose also delivers ample description of Lincoln’s official duties of answering constituents’ letters and serving on a congressional committee, which fills out a vibrant impression of Lincoln’s activity as he circulated through Washington’s political whirls. Lincoln fans will be absorbed by DeRose’s able account about the Thirtieth Congress’ representative from the Seventh Congressional District of Illinois. --Gilbert Taylor