Abraham Lincoln Before the Presidency: What He Learned as a Lawmaker
Abraham Lincoln Before the Presidency: What He Learned as a Lawmaker  
Podcast: American History Hotline
Published On: Thu Feb 12 2026
Description: Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent just one term in Congress. So how did "the best known two-time Senate loser in the country" become one of the greatest presidents in American history?  Bob calls up historian and author Chris DeRose (Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President) to help answer this question.   Together, they explore how Lincoln's short stint on Capitol Hill shaped his presidency — from his early and consistent resistance to the expansion of slavery to his firsthand experience of seeing men kidnapped and sold into bondage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.