Lincoln Herald

THE FILM: If you’d like to sit back on a cold wintery day and tap into a little bit of history in a classic way you may want to check out the 1930 biographical film Abraham Lincoln (also released under the title D.W. Griffith’s Abraham Lincoln) since it was directed by D.W. Griffith. What’s nice about the film is that it not only covers Lincoln’s political years, but his early years as a storekeeper and rail-splitter as well as his time spent as a lawyer courting Mary Todd in Springfield. The story is told in a series of smaller vignettes depicted in scenes with each of about equal length. Also included is the famed Lincoln-Douglas debate although some reviewers of the film have commented that its accurateness seems a little suspect even though the first part of the film (pertaining to Lincoln’s early years) appears to be Read the rest of this entry »

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln shook the nation to its core. Having just witnessed the end of the Civil War, such tragedy was unexpected. The historic event occurred in Washington, D.C.; at the Ford’s theatre, to be precise. The assailant, John Wilkes Booth, supported the Confederacy and slavery. Discontented with Lincoln’s plans for the future, Booth killed the president. Not even two weeks later and Booth was killed for his crime.John Henry Wilson, a Captain in the First Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, was stationed at Fort Stevens, Washington, D. C. when news came of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The following letter to Wilson’s wife, Elizabeth, expecting their first child, reveals the immediate opinions Wilson encountered at the news of Lincoln’s death, his anguish about the event, the steps taken spontaneously by his army unit to apprehend the assassins, and the deliberate murder of an individual who expressed satisfaction over Lincoln’s death. Read the rest of this entry »

Throughout the United States, there are several sites which honor the 16^th president. From Abraham Lincoln’s home in Illinois, to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, the president’s life is remembered nationwide.The Lincoln MemorialOne of the most well known monuments to Lincoln is found in Washington, D.C. The memorial is an impressive 19feet high and was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. The statue represents the president during a troubled period of American history; the Civil War. According to the designer, Lincoln’s expression shows him considering the fate of the Union. Read the rest of this entry »

The Lincoln Monument by Robert I. Russin is one of many sites which honor the former president. The following piece, written by Russin himself, offers an informative glance at the commemorative statue, as well as the designer’s respect for Lincoln.The Lincoln Monument at the summit of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway in Wyoming was dedicated on October 18, 1959. While it was conceived as part of the State of Wyoming’s contribution to the celebration of the Lincoln Sesquicentennial year, the statue was actually envisioned some twelve years earlier when I first came to teach at the University of Wyoming. Read the rest of this entry »