New book tells about the events that led to Abraham Lincoln’s first biography which helped send him to the White House

by Malcolm Johnstone

“Among the distinguished men who, by their patriotism and eloquence, have assisted to create and sustain the party of constitutional freedom which now predominates in most of the free States, there is no one who has a firmer hold on the confidence and affections of the people of the Great West, or is more an object of their enthusiastic admiration, than Abraham Lincoln of Springfield, Illinois.” — The opening sentence of ABRAHAM LINCOLN, published February 11, 1860, on the front page of the Chester County Times, a Republican newspaper that operated in what is now known as the Lincoln Building at 28 West Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

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A new book has been released about the extraordinary story leading up to the first biography of Abraham Lincoln, written and published in West Chester. It is considered pivotal to Lincoln’s nomination for the presidency.

The book, authored by Malcolm johnstone published by the Chester County Community Foundation, is called For the Union: how Quaker abolition, a hanging, a slave riot, and a small newspaper in West Chester helped launch Abraham Lincoln’s quest for the Presidency. Details for book launch and purchasing.

• See the article and author interview from County Lines Magazine.