The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery
Eric Foner
 The Fiery Trial chronicles how Lincoln's position on slavery changed during his life, as he witnessed slavery in his early life, growing up in Kentucky and Indiana. He occasionally dealt with issues of slavery in his law practice in Illinois. The book also discusses Lincoln's position on slavery in the context of his political career. Lincoln was a moderate, attempting to bridge the gap between the Radical Republicans and conservative Democrats, including those in the slave-holding states, who he hoped would choose preserving the Union over steadfastly defending slavery. However, Lincoln eventually abandoned his moderate stance on slavery when he determined that to win the American Civil War, he needed to act to end slavery.