Alonzo Rothschild

Born in New York City in 1862, Alonzo Rothschild worked first in journalism and the jewelry trade before turning fully to writing and independent study. Archival records from the University of Illinois describe him as the founder of Jewelers' Weekly, a successful trade paper, and note that he retired from business while still young so he could devote himself to research and literary work.

Rothschild is best remembered for his books on Abraham Lincoln, especially Lincoln, Master of Men and "Honest Abe": A Study in Integrity Based on the Early Life of Abraham Lincoln. A Harvard study of Lincoln memorabilia also describes him as a New York-born writer and lecturer whose lifelong interest in Lincoln shaped much of his work.

He died in 1915. Though not widely known today, his writing reflects an early-20th-century effort to understand Lincoln not just as a statesman, but as a model of moral character and leadership.