Preponderance of the Evidence in a Civil Trial

[Rob Wick]

Doris Kearns Goodwin could have quoted Ida Tarbell's book at length, but she chose for some reason not to do so.

To be fair, as much as I admire and respect Tarbell, her original Lincoln biography was written in 1901 and her last full-length Lincoln book appeared in the 1920s. Tarbell certainly was the most important Lincoln biographer of the Progressive Era, but in the 21st century that really is akin to being the best submarine commander in Boise. So much has changed in the story of Lincoln, and tastes have changed, that I would be surprised if someone used Tarbell's work in depth. Given that Team of Rivals was written for a popular audience, Goodwin used the story because it made a point she wanted to make. Academic writers and popular writers are two different animals. Most academic historians, Michael Burlingame excepted, hardly knows that Tarbell, Sandburg, Barton et al exist.

Best
Rob