Lincoln & California

Lincoln & California: The Untold Story
In Lincoln & California, historian Glenna Matthews uncovers a lesser-known dimension of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency by exploring his connection to the state of California during the Civil War era. Though geographically distant from the main theaters of war, California played a strategic and symbolic role in preserving the Union.

Matthews highlights Lincoln’s influence on the state’s political stability, the importance of its resources—particularly gold—and the efforts to maintain loyalty to the Union in a region with divided sympathies. The book also introduces key figures and events that shaped California’s place in the national story.

By focusing on this often-overlooked relationship, Lincoln & California broadens the reader’s understanding of the Civil War, showing how leadership and unity extended far beyond the battlefield and into every corner of the country.