No U.S. president and few leaders of any time or place have commanded language with the skill of Abraham Lincoln. Largely self-taught, he achieved a mastery of the word that helped him win the presidency and define the true meaning of America’s founding principle of human equality. In his writings and speeches—many of which are woven into the historical fabric of America—he vigorously strove to defend the Union and the Constitution, while also salving the wounds of a country torn apart by civil war.