Agassiz’s polygenist theories influenced Lincoln’s racism toward Black people.

Evidence

I met regularly with Mike throughout this research and compilation process as he built my case against Harvard. He loved the impossibility of this story—and the insurmountable odds we were able to overcome. Mike’s strategy sessions reminded me of the legendary Knights of the Round Table. I was simply in awe of the brilliance in the room. Through these sessions, I learned that Louis Agassiz had also met with President Abraham Lincoln and that his racist theories had a profound effect on Lincoln’s point of view. This was evident in the debate he had with Stephen A. Douglas, the Illinois senator he was challenging for his seat, on September 18, 1858—just three years before Lincoln was elected president of the United States. — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 824

Categorization

• QUESTION: Is there direct historical evidence tying Agassiz to Lincoln’s specific 1858 language, or is this an inference from timing? Worth checking the historical scholarship.