“I think here is the irony of American history. We don't have an established church. When you have an established church nobody takes religion as seriously as we do here. We have a free market in religion. The religious groups are competing with each other.” ThinkingChurchReligiousGroupsIronyAmerican HistoryCompetingFree Market Author:Eric Foner
“I admire Lincoln enormously and I think what's interesting about Lincoln is how he changes, it's not that he held the same view throughout his life.” ThinkingInterestingViewsAdmire Author:Eric Foner
“Lincoln has accepted America as a biracial society. He's talking about giving at least some black men the right to vote. In the Emancipation Proclamation he advises some blacks to labor faithfully for reasonable wages, here in the United States. He doesn't say anything about them leaving the country. He puts black men in the army. That is a whole different vision than simply saying "let's have them go out of the country." I think what's interesting is the change in Lincoln's view, but one must realize that he did adhere to this idea of colonization for many years.” ThinkingMenGivingYearsIdeasDifferentCountryStatesWholeAmericaBlackRealizingInterestingUnitedViewsTalkingVisionUnited StatesLaborVoteArmyLeavingAcceptedReasonableSay AnythingWagesAdviseEmancipationRight To VoteBiracialColonizationProclamationEmancipation ProclamationLeaving The Country Author:Eric Foner
“There are those who view the abolitionists as just maniacs, apolitical fanatics who helped to cause the war, and Lincoln is the model of responsible statesmanship. I think that is a misconception, the idea that Lincoln knows what's possible and the abolitionists don't.” ThinkingKnowsIdeasWarCausesViewsModelsResponsibleFanaticsMisconceptionManiacsStatesmanshipAbolitionistApolitical Author:Eric Foner
“Whenever you think of Lincoln as a historian, in his own mind, he becomes the Great Emancipator. This is his role in history henceforth. He was an ambitious man who wanted to make an impact on history, and this is how he did it.” ThinkingMenMindWantedRolesImpactHistorianAmbitiousAmbitious Man Author:Eric Foner
