Lincoln and the Law: How Blackstone's Commentaries Shaped a President.

While only receiving one year's worth of formal education, Abraham Lincoln's passion for learning is often cited by historians and biographers as one of the key elements of his character. Among the most influential thinkers in Lincoln's life was Sir William Blackstone, whose Commentaries, especially his first book on the rights of persons, helped shape his legal and political thinking as it did for many Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries. This work aims to highlight, through his political actions and speeches, how Blackstone's ideas which sought to explain and clarify English common law influenced our nation's 16th president. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]