WhilemostAmericanscountAbrahamLincolnamongthemostbelovedandadmiredformerpresidents,adedicatedminorityhaslongviewedhimnotonlyastheworstpresidentinthecountry’shistory,butalsoasacriminalwhodefiedtheConstitutionandadvancedfederalpowerandtheideaofracialequality.InLoathingLincoln,historianJohnMcKeeBarrsurveysthebroadarrayofcriticismsaboutAbrahamLincolnthatemergedwhenhesteppedontothenationalstage,expandedduringtheCivilWar,andcontinuedtoevolveafterhisdeathandintothepresent.ThefirstpanoramicstudyofLincoln’scritics,Barr’sworkoffersananalysisofLincolninhistoricalmemoryandanexaminationofhowhiscritics--onboththerightandleft--havefrequentlyreflectedtheanxietyanddiscontentAmericansfeltabouttheirlives.Fromnorthernabolitioniststroubledbytheslowpaceofemancipation,toConfederateswhocondemnedhimasa“blackRepublican“anddespot,toAmericanswhoblamedhimforthecivilrightsmovement,to,morerecently,libertarianswhoaccusehimoftramplingtheConstitutionandcreatingthemodernwelfarestate,Lincoln’sdetractorshavealwaysbeenavocalminority,butnotonewithoutinfluence.BymeticulouslyexploringthemostsignificantargumentsagainstLincoln,Barrtracestheriseofthepresident’smoststridentcriticsandlinksmostofthemtoadistinctright-wingorneo-Confederatepoliticalagenda.AccordingtoBarr,theirhostilitytoamoreegalitarianAmericaandoppositiontoanyuseoffederalpowertobringaboutsuchgoalsledthemtoportrayLincolnasanimperialisticpresidentwhogrosslyoversteppedtheboundsofhisoffice.Incontrast,liberalscriticizedhimfornotdoingenoughtobringaboutemancipationorensurelastingracialequality.Lincoln’sconservativeandlibertarianfoes,however,constitutedthevastmajorityofhisdetractors.Morerecently,Lincoln’smostvociferouscriticshaveadamantlyopposedBarackObamaandhispolicies,manyofthemreferencingLincolnintheirattacksonthecurrentpresident.Inexaminingtheseindividualsandgroups,Barr’sstudyprovidesadeeperunderstandingofAmericanpoliticallifeandthenationitself.
