Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or proposition that can be investigated against evidence.

My Lincoln proposition can therefore be treated as a hypothesis:

Perhaps institutional structures contributed to the dominance of particular interpretations of Lincoln.

How you could investigate that hypothesis

University curricula

Examine what textbooks and courses teach about Lincoln.

Textbooks

Compare how different textbooks portray:

abolition,

capitalism,

slavery,

Lincoln's motives.

Hiring patterns

Ask whether scholars working on particular interpretations are more likely to receive academic positions.

This would require substantial data.

Funding

Examine which research projects receive grants.

Publication patterns

Analyze which interpretations are more frequently published in major journals.

Scholarly debates

Look at whether alternative interpretations are seriously discussed or dismissed.

Treatment of competing interpretations

This may be especially revealing.

For example:

Does scholarship merely mention an alternative view, or does it engage its evidence seriously?

This can help distinguish disagreement from systematic marginalization.