Lincoln's Speechwriter: John Hay and the Friendship That Inspired American Eloquence - Hardcover

by Jan Cigliano Hartman (Author)

John Hay: the Voice Behind the Legendary Oratory of Abraham Lincoln

John Hay's contributions to Abraham Lincoln's political oratory--including his First Inaugural of March 1861, Springfield Farewell Speech of February 1861, the Gettysburg Address of November 1863, as well as many others--uplifted the president's influence. An extraordinary transformation that appeared throughout his speeches, Hay helped launch Lincoln's Republican campaign that culminated in Lincoln being elected the 16th president of the United States.

The rhyme and language of a writer's voice is the living soul of narrative. The evolution of John Hay's voice, established during his formative and college years at Brown University and echoed during his time with Abraham Lincoln, is documented in Lincoln's Speechwriter through evidence of Hay's distinct voice and Lincoln's ability to engage audiences, fused into something remarkable.

Lincoln's Speechwriter gives readers a closer look into the man behind the political voice that was Lincoln himself.

Author Biography

Jan Cigliano Hartman is an award-winning historian of eight books that portray the history of American life. Her book, Showplace of America, has sold over twenty thousand units `and remains in print after thirty years. It was Cleveland, Ohio's Euclid Avenue--home to such luminaries as the founder of Standard Oil, the chairman of Western Union Telegraph, and the inventor of the electric arc lamp--where Hartman discovered that John Hay was the most intriguing individual among a stunning field. Other books by Cigliano Hartman include Private Washington, Grand American Avenue, and The Women Who Changed Architecture. Hartman is principal of Jan Hartman Books, a book producer, and formerly senior editor with Princeton Architectural Press.

Hartman is a fellow at Massachusetts Historical Society, was a resident scholar at the American Academy in Rome, and a visiting researcher at Brown University's John Hay Library. Hartman is a graduate of Oberlin College with highest honors in history and George Washington University with a master's in urban planning.