Author Traces Transformation of Early 19th Century America (3/3)

With little formal education, young Lincoln left the farm, studied law books on his own and became a lawyer.

Howe's book finishes in 1848, when a treaty ended the controversial war between the United States and Mexico, and Mexico ceded the territory that is today the southwestern United States. Howe says his publisher determined the date because the next book in the Oxford series starts in 1848.

"And so, of course, I had to dovetail with that. Nevertheless, I am very happy with ending in 1848 not only because of the ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, but also because of the women's rights convention in Seneca Falls of that year, which provides a wonderful vision of America in the future."

Howe says the women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, foreshadowed the opening of politics and the professions to women, while the growing abolition movement spread demands for the end of slavery. The author says the first half of the 19th century laid the groundwork for more momentous changes to follow.

参考译文：

小林肯接受过很少的正规教育，他离开了农场，自学法律书籍，成为了一名律师。
豪的书终结篇写的是1848年的美国，也是美国和墨西哥颇具争议的战争签订条约结束之时。墨西哥放弃了现在美国西南部的领土。豪说，出版商要求他写到1848年的美国为止，因为牛津这个系列的丛书下一册是始于1848年。
“因此，我当然不得不这样做。然而，我对于书的内容终结于1848年很欣喜，不仅因为这一年《瓜达卢佩伊达戈条约》签订，还因为妇女权利会议在塞尼卡福尔斯召开，这为未来的美国掀开了精彩的一页。”
豪说在纽约塞尼卡福尔斯举行的妇女权利会议预示着政治和各行业向妇女开放，与此同时，废除农奴制的运动也迅速开展，敲响了奴隶制消亡的钟声。作者说，19世纪上半叶为接下来更为重要的改革奠定了基础。