This volume on Abraham Lincoln is unique in Teaching American History’s collections of core documents because it focuses on one person. One might claim others deserve such a distinction, but we do not believe that anyone would deny that Lincoln does. Lincoln’s statesmanship—his effort to choose the best course of action in always uncertain circumstances—merits study in itself, but its success derived from what this collection focuses on, his unmatched understanding of America’s political principles. These 26 documents contain reflections on the Declaration of Independence, and its relation to the constitution; the meaning of equality; the rule of law; the role of religion in American politics; and the role of the Supreme Court and of the other branches of government in relation to the Court; and the rule of law that remain fundamental for understanding the American experiment in self-government.