LSJohn
Verified Member
Rethinking Lincoln (with a tip of the hat to Vapros, who's too gentlemanly to say it so starkly.)
Through extensive historical investigation, author and journalist Thomas DiLorenzo shows that the high tariff pushed by Northern industries, at the expense of Southern agriculture, was the main cause of the sectional conflict. Further, Lincoln's goal in preventing Southern secession was the consolidation of federal power and the collection of revenue, not the elimination of slavery.
DiLorenzo looks at the actions and legacy of Abe Lincoln from an economics point of view to show that Lincoln's main interest was not in opposing slavery but in advancing mercantilism, inflationism, and government spending.
(I plagiarized most of the two paragraphs above from a site advertising the newest of DiLorenzo's books, and the bold-face on "consolidation of federal power" is mine because I think it was Lincoln's strongest motive --"Save the Union.")
DiLorenzo's publisher says: "This fiery book goes far more into depth than his first blockbuster on the subject."
If you want to see for yourself, or just to find out where you think DiLorenzo is in error, here's the place to start:
Lincoln Unmasked
(I'd love to read reviews of this book by Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams, but they don't exist yet.)
Through extensive historical investigation, author and journalist Thomas DiLorenzo shows that the high tariff pushed by Northern industries, at the expense of Southern agriculture, was the main cause of the sectional conflict. Further, Lincoln's goal in preventing Southern secession was the consolidation of federal power and the collection of revenue, not the elimination of slavery.
DiLorenzo looks at the actions and legacy of Abe Lincoln from an economics point of view to show that Lincoln's main interest was not in opposing slavery but in advancing mercantilism, inflationism, and government spending.
(I plagiarized most of the two paragraphs above from a site advertising the newest of DiLorenzo's books, and the bold-face on "consolidation of federal power" is mine because I think it was Lincoln's strongest motive --"Save the Union.")
DiLorenzo's publisher says: "This fiery book goes far more into depth than his first blockbuster on the subject."
If you want to see for yourself, or just to find out where you think DiLorenzo is in error, here's the place to start:
Lincoln Unmasked
(I'd love to read reviews of this book by Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams, but they don't exist yet.)
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