Abe Lincoln on the Big Screen: The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln

By Niles Anderegg
Abraham Lincoln has been and continues to be one of the most fascinating people in American history. He has inspired many writers and artists to depict his life and times. The same has been true for filmmakers in and out of Hollywood. Doing a simple Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) search reveals 214 films [...]

President Lincoln’s Profile Found on a Tree Trunk

By George Wellman
Just when we think we have seen or read everything about President Lincoln during his bicentennial birth year, another discovery is made. This time it’s President Lincoln’s likeness on a tree trunk near President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home.   The tree is located south of the Cottage in an area of the Armed [...]

Lincoln’s Thanksgiving

By Niles Anderegg
Tomorrow is the fourth Thursday in November, a day when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. A tradition of setting time aside for thanksgiving goes back to the earliest English settlements in Massachusetts and Virginia, but the actual establishment of Thanksgiving Day comes from the time of the Civil War. In the fall of 1863, President [...]

Remembering Gettysburg

At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, 146 years ago today, Lincoln delivered his address at Gettysburg.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether [...]

“Don’t ask me to memorize his speech.”

By Erin Carlson Mast
While reading a book of short stories, I came across a line about Lincoln–about understanding Lincoln’s humanity.  The narrator ends the preceding paragraph by saying, ”Don’t try to teach me.  I’ll figure it out for myself.”  He next speaks of Daniel Boone, saying, “Don’t tell me.  I knew him.”  He then says:
“Lincoln?  A big [...]

Lincoln’s Own Reading List, Summer-Autumn, 1862, ‘63, and ‘64

By Erin Carlson Mast
Welcome to the fifth and final installment of our President Lincoln’s Cottage Book Lists for 2009.  Previous Book Lists detailed our top rated recent books on Lincoln, staff favorite books on Lincoln, visitor favorites on Lincoln, and children’s books on Lincoln.  Reading about Lincoln is all well and good, but for a change, let’s look at what [...]

Mary Lincoln’s Seance at the Soldiers’ Home

By Erin Carlson Mast
Starting with Willie Lincoln’s death in February 1862, Mary Lincoln began to engage in spirit circles.  Spirit circles, or seances, were led by a medium who helped those gathered communicate with loved ones who had “crossed over.”  Spirits communicated with the living by various means including sounds like rapping, scratching, and playing instruments and touches [...]

Lincoln’s Last October at the Cottage

By Erin Carlson Mast
October 1864 marks Lincoln’s last season in residence at the Cottage, a tumultous summer of military victories and defeats, and shifting public support for his administration and his reelection campaign. 
In August, Lincoln and many of his supporters indicated a belief that Lincoln’s chances of reelection looked bleak.   One colleague of Lincoln’s wrote: 
“I am in active correspondence with your staunchest friends [...]

1864 Lincoln Campaign Songster

By Katie Needham
People supporting President Lincoln for reelection in 1864, used many of the same tactics people use today to promote their favorite candidates. They carried photos and wore emblems, medals, and badges containing slogans and pictures.  Songs were written, or words written to the tune of popular songs.  This songster was published in 1864 [...]

Connecting Through Places That Matter

By Alison Mitchell
For anyone who loves traveling to cultural destinations you’ll love Gozaic! Recently launched by Heritage Travel, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Gozaic is a site where you can plan life-enriching travel and join a community that shares your passion for experiencing culture and heritage. Build your own custom itineraries exploring [...]