In Freeport, Illinois, just beyond the somnolent downtown, a small park near the Pecatonica River is wedged next to the public library. In the mid-19th century, however, land along the shore stretched ...

Introduction: From Lincoln and Douglas to Nixon and Kennedy -- The least man I ever saw -- Take care of your old Whigs -- A David greater than Goliath -- For God's sake, Linder, come up -- In the face ...

Editor’s note: The following lightly edited excerpt is from Chicago writer Edward Robert McClelland’s new book, “Chorus of the Union: How Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas Set Aside Their Rivalry to ...