Lincoln biography by nicolay and hay

biography of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln: A History is an ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War.

Writing history

Early in his presidency, Hay and Nicolay requested and received permission from Lincoln to write his biography.

Lincoln biography by nicolay and hay

In the first years after Lincoln's death, Hay and Nicolay were not encouraged to publish such a work—Representative Isaac Newton Arnold, a Lincoln supporter, had quickly published a substantial Lincoln biography, and publishers were not eager for another.

Further, the permission of Robert Lincoln, who controlled his father's papers, would have to be gained. Lincoln's former secretaries decided to wait until they had sufficient time and money.

The often-dormant proposal to write the biography was given new impetus as they came to believe Lincoln's historical image was being distorted.

Ward Hill