Lincoln’s T-Mails

Last week I wrote about Tom Wheeler’s book “Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails.” I’m watching Wheeler now on C-SPAN2. He’s sharing the podium with Harold Holzer, author of “Lincoln At Cooper Union.”

The more I hear, the more fascinating the story is. Lincoln is more a myth than a man to most of us. Mostly, we know history through platitudes and broad concepts. Now I’m listening to the minutiae of his public and private life.

“Lincoln was a devotee of changing technology” – Harold Holzer

This is the most amazing part of the story. Lincoln took advantage of the life changing technology available – the railroad, telegraph, telegrams and even photography.

In the mid-1800s, presidential candidates didn’t campaign. Lincoln’s photo was the representation seen by most voters.

How cool is it to know that when you look more deeply at Lincoln, he’s remains as large a figure as he is from a fuzzy distance.