David Herbert Donald

David Herbert Donald

David Herbert Donald was born on October 1st, 1920. David passed away May 17th, 2009 at 88 years old. David Herbert Donald was born in Goodman, MS, USA. Donald attended Millsaps College where he received a bachelor's degree and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received a master's degree in history and a PhD.

David Herbert Donald has a wife who is also an author, Aida D. Donald.

David Herbert Donald was an American historian who dedicated his life to writing about the stories of some of the most prominent historical figures in the United States.

Early in his career, David developed an interest in Lincoln from a dissertation he wrote about his law partner William Herndon. His dissertation would become his first major work and paved the way for his rise in academia.

He would soon be recognized for his expertise in biographical storytelling that blended literary depth with deep research.

For much of the 1950s and 1960s, David Herbert Donald published and edited several influential works on figures such as Charles Sumner and Salmon Chase, in addition to the Reconstruction and the Civil War.

Even though Herbert taught at prestigious universities such as Harvard, Columbia, Oxford, Johns Hopkins, and Princeton, he preferred personal fulfillment and scholarly freedom over prestige.

His biggest achievement was when he published the biography Lincoln in 1995. Humanizing the late American president, his work was a benchmark for how presidential scholarship ought to be done. He presented the man as a shrewd, ambitious, and thoughtful man, even as he was a symbol of greatness in the face of numerous challenges.

In 1991, David Herbert retired from teaching at Harvard even though he remained active as a historian.

Outside of his work, he was a mentor who influenced many historians, students, scholars, and even American presidents.

In the work Lincoln’s Herndon, David Herbert Donald tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s law partner, friend, and first biographer, William Herndon.

He tells of their life in Illinois, the rise of Lincoln as a politician, his debates, and his relationships. He also tells of how Herndon struggled when Lincoln left to go to Washington.

Herndon had to deal with disappointment, poverty, and controversy while he published Lincoln’s biography. The author also explores how Herndon, the reformer and anti slavery activist, became one of the most important people who preserved the real story of Lincoln.

In Lincoln Reconsidered, the author put together twelve essays reexamining common myths about the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln.

He shows Lincoln as an adaptable and clever leader, even as he explores views on the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, his complex legal ideas, and his limited education.

Using cultural analysis and history, he presents a more human and realistic view of Lincoln, including how he became a cultural icon.

In his Pulitzer Prize-winning work Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War, Herbert writes a biography of one of the most controversial and passionate figures in the history of the United States.

He writes about Senator Charles Sumner’s advocacy against slavery, which made him both a hated and admired figure. His fiery speeches and courageous actions were the spark that lit the fire of the Civil War, which shaped the future of the United States.

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David Herbert Donald: F.A.Q