Event Lectures and Symposia George C. Rable, "Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War"

A familiar narrative has long endured in how historians view the Civil War. General George B. McClellan clearly thought he knew better than anyone in the Lincoln administration when it came to military matters, and made this opinion known through his words and actions. But despite transforming the Army of the Potomac into a ready fighting force, McClellan found reasons to delay engaging in combat, and instead blamed others for his inaction and lack of victories. President Abraham Lincoln, on the other hand, provided McClellan one opportunity after another to achieve success on the battlefield, while tolerating McClellan’s insubordinate behavior. But while McClellan dithered, Lincoln learned how to run a war.

 Join the Manuscript Division for a conversation with author George C. Rable about his new book, "Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War" (Louisiana State University Press, 2023). Moderated by Manuscript Division historian Michelle Krowl and reference librarian Lara Szypszak, this conversation will probe how Rable evaluated the military and political interactions of President Abraham Lincoln and General George B. McClellan during the Civil War, how his interpretations help balance the familiar hero-villain dichotomy in evidence in Civil War historiography, how he approached his research, and how his normal methodologies with regard to archival research were impacted by the closure of libraries during the pandemic.

 Made at the Library is an event series highlighting works inspired by and emerging from research at the Library of Congress. Featuring authors, artists, and other creators in conversation with Library experts, this series takes a deep dive into the process of working with the Library’s collections.