📚 Abraham Lincoln Autobiography (part 1 of 2)

## 📚 Great Lives Autobiography Club — #1 of 5

### Abraham Lincoln (David Herbert Donald) — Part 1 of 2 (Ch. 1–10)

No lecture, no quiz — just a good, thoughtful discussion.

Welcome to Great Lives Autobiography Club, a Meetup series where we read and discuss the lives of major historical figures, one at a time, together. This is Book #1 out of 5, and we’re starting with one of the most examined (and still most misunderstood) Americans: Abraham Lincoln.

For this Lincoln read, we’ll meet in two parts. This first meetup covers Chapters 1–10, which brings us to a clean midpoint: the end of Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, right before the Civil War begins.

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## 🗓️ Meetup details

Date/Time: Sunday, January 25, 2026: 1:30PM - 3:30PM
Location: Central Library - Meeting Rooms - L4 North (492) Meeting Room

Book: Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
Reading for Part 1: Chapters 1–10 (through the First Inaugural Address)

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## ✅ What we’re discussing in Part 1 (Ch. 1–10)

This section tracks Lincoln’s formation and rise, ending at the moment he steps into the presidency with the country already cracking apart.

We’ll talk about:

• The making of Lincoln: poverty, self-education, ambition
• The lawyer and politician: how he thinks, persuades, and adapts
• The road to the White House: coalitions, messaging, and timing
• The tension at the center: Union, slavery, compromise, and consequence
• The First Inaugural Address: what Lincoln promises, what he avoids, and what he’s trying to prevent

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## 🧠 Format / vibe

• Friendly, curious discussion — no gatekeeping
• Come ready to share… or just listen
• We’ll keep it grounded in the text, but all perspectives are welcome
• Spoilers: We’ll discuss freely through Chapter 10 only (no Part 2 spoilers)

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## 📌 Bring this if you can

• Your copy of the book (any edition is fine)
• One passage you underlined (or a page number that stuck with you)
• One question you genuinely want the group to help you answer

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## ⚠️ Content note

This discussion includes themes and historical realities involving slavery, racism, political violence, and war.

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## 🔜 Part 2 (next meetup)

Part 2 will pick up right after the First Inaugural and cover the remaining chapters, Lincoln in wartime leadership, emancipation, political pressure, and legacy.
Part 2 date: In about a month from the 1st meetup