What life experiences and education influenced the writings and rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln?

Compare and contrast the political philosophies of Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

Why did Abraham Lincoln severely criticize General McClellan for much of the early part of the Civil War?

What reasons did Lincoln give for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation in the manner and at the time that he did?

What was Lincoln's theory of race, and how did it impact his stance on slavery?

What was Lincoln's philosophy with respect to reconstruction in the South and healing the wounds of war?

Why did Abraham Lincoln support the Free Labor theory, as opposed to the "mud-sill" theory?