Chapter 21 Summary and Analysis

The final chapter is called "I Will Take Care of Myself," which is Lincoln's response to the Secretary of War who warns him against visiting the captured Confederate capital of Richmond. As soon as the route is secured, Lincoln makes his way to the former capital of the Confederate states, meeting with his generals to discuss the probable defeat of the South and the terms for peace.

When General Lee surrenders at Appomattox, the nation is jubilant. The necessity of how the former Confederate states will be let back into the Union is now a reality, and Lincoln balances several plans, including those that would temporarily recognize Confederate legislatures for the purpose of voting to re-join the Union. In a public speech given at the White House, Lincoln even broaches the subject of extending voting rights to free blacks. In the...