... a more complete picture of Lincoln ... In the current climate of reassessing how America tells its history, A House Built by Slaves illustrates how Lincoln walked among his people as a common, flawed man ... White masterfully shows the African American communities’ efforts to influence Lincoln in obtaining full rights for their people, and his choice to use their language of the day makes for a good read. Historians and Lincoln fans will enjoy this accurate retelling of the epoch where America almost came apart at the seams.
... [an] important book ... White does two things especially well to elevate his book above what some readers might consider academic minutia that would appeal only to a limited audience of Lincoln scholars. First, this is not a paean to our 16th president ... White does not dismiss the criticisms and gives them consideration, but through research and a lens of perspective, he is able to diffuse most of the anger and shows quite effectively that even Frederick Douglass, one of the most outspoken critics when Lincoln came into office, became one of Lincoln’s greatest advocates after visiting him in the White House ... The stories of these guests are fleshed out and they are placed in a historical context that is fascinating and informative ... A House Built By Slaves is a 'worthy one' in the canon of Lincoln scholarship and shows White to be an able and welcome guide in preserving his legacy.
White describes, movingly, Lincoln’s meetings with many African Americans of all backgrounds, providing brief biographies of each participant and describing the conversation and its aftermath. Readers will perceive the sacred and the profane in White’s accounts of the historical context for these encounters. During this era, politicians, journalists, and the public often used biblical references in framing their opinions, yet their commentary was also laced with racial epithets.
... a granular study of Abraham Lincoln’s practice of welcoming African Americans to the White House ...The detailed recaps of each meeting can grow tedious, and White sometimes overreaches in his readings of primary sources. Still, this is a rich and comprehensive account of a groundbreaking aspect of Lincoln’s presidency.
