Historian and author Walter Stahr has written a new book about President Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. You may remember Stahr from his remarkable book on William Henry Seward, and you may remember Edwin Stanton because of what he did after President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. As Lincoln lay dying, Stanton got to work: he issued orders to protect other leaders and initiated a search for the assassin.
In Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary, Stahr describes the complex relationship between Stanton and Seward -- one of trust and suspicion -- and the complex reputation held by Stanton. Was Stanton an aggressive opportunist using tragedy to empower himself? Or was he a progressive problem solver looking to resolve conflicts? Among other things, he was known to press for equal pay and status for African Americans in the Union Army.
Stahr will be in Auburn next week to discuss Stanton's life during the Civil War and how it relates to political discourse today, but first, he joins us on Connections. Our guests:
- Walter Stahr, author of Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary
- Jeff Ludwig, director of education at the Seward House Museum
