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Around the Blogs – Lincoln, Tesla, the Everglades, and More

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Christmas is coming, which of course means the Everglades. Yes, Everglades. Final planning is underway for a trip to Florida soon after the holidays. Stops will include Miami’s South Beach, some gator watching in the Everglades, communing with the spirit of Ernest Hemingway on Key West, and a visit with the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln assassination conspirators in the Dry Tortugas. More details to follow shortly.

Abraham LincolnMeanwhile, the writing biz continues to be busy. Two posts here on Science Traveler looked at Abraham Lincoln’s educational pursuits and how his knowledge of science to win an important murder case.

A Twinkle in the IceA daily writing prompt inspired a slightly off-the-path look a twinkling light. Can you follow the transition (and wordplay) in A Twinkle in the Ice?

The Dake Page took on how (and why) professional climate deniers create deceptive graphics to mislead the public about the science behind man-made climate change.

William Tecumseh ShermanI also had an article published on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies page. A Christmas Gift for Abraham Lincoln takes a look at the second of two gifts given by General William Tecumseh Sherman to our 16th President in 1864. The first, in early September, was the driving force behind Lincoln’s reelection win. The second, received on Christmas day, was the driving force behind the Union’s winning of the Civil War.

Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla has been busy too. In just a few weeks is the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference and Gala at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City. I attended the first two conferences but unfortunately will miss it this year because of, well, the Everglades. But rumor has it my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, will be making an appearance in several important ways. Sign up here to attend!

While you’re thinking about Tesla, check out this amazing music video that uses Tesla’s principles of electricity and vibration.

Much more to come, including a lot more science traveling.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over 30 years, is a lifelong Lincolnophile, and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Tesla, Lincoln, Climate Denial, and Thanksgiving

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A lot can happen in a week, or in this case, two weeks. Here’s a quick rundown of posts covering Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Climate Denial, and Thanksgiving.

Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeNikola Tesla had a busy week as Amazon put my e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time onto a “Countdown Deal” clock. The book started at a big discount and then continued at a smaller discount before returning to its normal low price. Thanks to the thousands of people who took a lot. You can read more about it here and still download the e-book on Amazon. Also, check out my Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity book on Amazon, BN.com, and in Barnes and Noble stores.

Abe and MeNot to be outdone, Abraham Lincoln was busy as well. First he was in Washington DC for the Election of 1864 Symposium, then he was in Gettysburg for the annual Lincoln Forum (and something about a speech to dedicate a graveyard), and then he took time away from the Thanksgiving holiday to, well, create the Thanksgiving holiday.

turkeyThanksgiving also featured prominently in Eating Thanksgiving on Hot White Snow. Upon reflection during this time of giving thanks it also struck me that I too often was Blogging the Day Away instead of working on my Lincoln and science book. I’ve corrected that somewhat, which is why there are fewer digressions on Hot White Snow (though admittedly I’m still writing those digressions).

Einstein2Finally, as the weather turned colder and the doorstep of winter approaches, The Dake Page took on two topics related to climate denial. The first offered some advice for how to discuss climate change over Thanksgiving (hint, don’t), while the second looked at the phenomenon known as “fake experts.”

Science Traveling got some attention as well. The plane tickets and rental car are all arranged for an Everglades/Key West/Dry Tortugas adventure in January. More on that soon.

There was also some exciting news this week on the Lincoln book in progress front. Two of the top Lincoln scholars in the world told me that my book topic is a wonderful idea and offered their insights and encouragement. Nothing better than inspirational support from renowned experts, except perhaps a 5- or 6-figure advance from the publisher. In any case, I’m spending the rest of the day on Abraham Lincoln.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over 30 years, is a lifelong Lincolnophile, and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln – The World’s Fair Connection

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Though Nikola Tesla was born only nine years before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and half a world apart, there nevertheless are an uncanny number of connections between the two great men. One of them involves a World’s Fair (two, actually).

Nikola Tesla’s first big break in the war of the currents with Thomas Edison was at the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Up to this time Edison dominated the growing electricity business with his direct current (DC) systems. But DC had some severe limitations and Tesla favored his own alternating current (AC) system. Edison brutally protected his DC turf with a campaign to discredit AC, even supporting the development of the first electric chair to show how dangerous AC could be.

But Tesla had teamed up with George Westinghouse and the combination of Tesla’s AC system and Westinghouse’s business acumen allowed them to win the bidding to light up the Chicago World’s Fair – the first attempt to electrify at this scale. It was a huge success.

Chicago World's Fair 1893

The World’s Fair grounds were designed by some of the greatest architects of the time, including Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmstead. The canals, pools, and massive buildings – the White City – were tremendous, but the centerpiece was a 65-foot tall sculpture called the Statue of the Republic (nicknamed “Big Mary”). With its stone base it stood 111-feet high over the Grand Basin.

Lincoln Memorial

The connection to Abraham Lincoln? Well, “Big Mary” was designed by none other than Daniel Chester French. French, of course, went on to design the seated statue of Abraham Lincoln that dominates the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, Daniel Burnham, the architect who supervised the design and building of the Chicago World’s Fair and who selected French to design “Big Mary,” was also on the Lincoln Commission tasked with designing a fitting memorial to our 16th President. Burnham strongly lobbied for another architect, Henry Bacon, to build the Lincoln Memorial. In fact, Bacon did design and build the Greek Doric temple that houses French’s famous statue and serves as one of the world’s most visited monuments.

Meanwhile, French’s original Statue of the Republic was destroyed by fire only two years after the fair ended. French was later commissioned to create a smaller version – only 24-feet high and gilded in bronze – for the 25th anniversary of the fair. Appropriately, it now stands on the site of the original World’s Fair Electricity Building, the place where Nikola Tesla first brought alternating current into the modern world.

Tesla exhibit 1893 World's Fair

Oh, there’s another World’s Fair connection between Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln. I’ll talk about that in a later post. 🙂

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Tesla, Lincoln, and Beyond

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Signing books 1-11-14It’s been a busy weekend/week/month/year. On this site I write about Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Travel, and Aquariums, but I also write on other sites and I’ll be adding more sites shortly.  At the same time I’ll be consolidating. Make sense? Keep watching this space for more information.

I’ll be writing more in-depth about these in future posts, but to give you a flavor of what is coming, check out these highlights:

  • Nikola Tesla: A new book, the reissue of the previous book, and some talks. I mentioned these in a previous post here. I’ll be holding a vote for the final title shortly, and another for the final cover. Sign up for my Facebook author’s page for details on how to get the ebook for free when it comes out.
  • Abraham Lincoln: This weekend was the first face-to-face meeting of the new officers for the Lincoln Group of DC (LGDC). As part of my new outreach and education duties we’ve set up LGDC pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I’ll have a post on these shortly. We also have a gazillion (more or less) events scheduled for the near future. Check out the LGDC website for more information.
  • Travel: I’m way behind on planning the trip to Scandinavia, but the goal is to go to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Trips to Mt. Rushmore and Chicago/Springfield are also in the works (and also way behind schedule in planning). Before that I’ll be up in New England to visit the family and give a talk about Tesla at the Ipswich Museum.
  • Aquariums: So many more aquariums to write about. I have two more on my list to visit while in the Scandinavian countries noted above.
  • Writing: I’ve recently started free writing, that is, writing in response to prompts, contests, and for future use in memoir/fiction books. I recently submitted short pieces to two contests – one a science fiction article and the other a short memoir. To accommodate the free writing, as well as the diverse writing on Lincoln, Tesla, science, and other topics, I’ll be setting up separate blogs that will then be cross-posted back here.

There is much more going on as well. I’m being considered for a major award related to my work with the regional chapter of SETAC. A possible on-air segment on the History Channel is in discussions, as is a profile in a book about Tesla’s People (people building a curriculum about Nikola Tesla). Works in progress include the Abraham Lincoln book I’ve discussed previously plus a travel photo book and, of course, the soon to be released Tesla and Renewable energy ebook.

Add in a few major life events, some introspection, and the vagaries of nature, and there will be tons to talk about. One thing I have planned is a revamping of this website to highlight my multiple books and other writing; more informational articles on Tesla, Lincoln, science, and travel; and a new newsletter for my updated mailing list.

Stay tuned!

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and a soon-to-be-released ebook on Tesla and Renewable Energy.

 

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Tesla, Travel, and Lincoln – Current and Upcoming Events

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Here on Science Traveler I cover three main topics – Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, and Science Traveling. It’s been a busy few months so far this year, and the rest of the year is shaping up to be even busier. Here are some quick updates on what to expect.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

I’ve recently become the Coordinator for Outreach and Education for the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. In that role next week I’ll meet with key people from the infamous Ford’s Theater to evaluate any common goals and activities. I’ll also be working with the Lincoln Group President and Board to develop a program to better integrate with other Lincoln groups, scholars, and the public.

I expect to make great strides on my own Abraham Lincoln book this year, as well as a new Lincoln book project I’ll talk more about later. Meanwhile, the Lincoln Group book club is wrapping up our discussion of Herndon’s Lincoln and will decide shortly on what book we’ll tackle next.

I also had the privilege of joining Lincoln Group member and National Archives researcher Rodney Ross for a Civil War event at the exclusive Cosmos Club in Washington DC. The coordinator of that event even asked me to be a speaker on my book topic next year. That makes four or five requests for speaking engagements already being lined up for when the book comes out.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola TeslaTesla world has been equally busy. I continue to work on the Tesla and Renewable Energy ebook I expect to release in June. The ebook format will keep the cost low and allow reaching out to the large number of people who haven’t yet discovered the great inventor. Meanwhile, the second printing of my Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity book is scheduled to be in Barnes and Noble book stores in time for Tesla’s birthday in July.

I’ll be giving a presentation on Nikola Tesla at the Ipswich Museum on July 7th, and expect to be part of the Tesla Days events in Philadelphia on July 9th. I also expect to be doing presentations and book signings in July and August once the second printing is in the stores. I’m eager to include a west coast trip on the schedule.

One exciting project is the development of a curriculum to teach about Nikola Tesla in schools. The Tesla Science Foundation has been working with Ashley Redfearn Neswick at the Tacony Academy Charter School, and there is potential for using my Tesla book as part of that curriculum.

Science Traveling

James JoyceI’ve been documenting on these pages some of the highlights of my February 2014 trip to Patagonia, Argentina. I’ll have more on other trips I’ve taken in the past as well. But the next few months could get very busy with new science travel.

I’m planning a trip out to Chicago/Springfield sometime in May or June. The main purpose is to visit and do some research at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, but I’ll take advantage of the trip to also see the exhibits (including Tesla) from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, as well as check out other Lincoln sites. In November I’m expecting to go to the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg, PA.

July will be a trip home to New England to visit family, as well as a possible Tesla book tour to the west coast. The end of August should find me in the fjords of Norway, plus trains through Sweden and Denmark. The fall, in addition to Gettysburg, may take me to Vancouver and, hopefully, India. By Christmas I’ll be ready to curl up under the Yule log.

One more thing I initially forgot to mention: I’ll be giving a presentation on Monday, April 28th at the CPRC 2014 Annual Meeting. My topic is “Remembering the Big Picture: Communicating Local Science to a Global Audience.”

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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An Abraham Lincoln (and Nikola Tesla) Christmas

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In 1834, as an Illinois legislator, the 25-year-old Abraham Lincoln voted against closing the state government on Christmas day. He felt that elected officials should keep the day a workday “because he felt he would be wasting taxpayers’ money if he took the day off.” Later when he was in the White House he sent no Christmas cards and set up no Christmas tree.

Shocking? Not really. Back then Christmas was a normal working day in most of the United States. Government offices and most businesses were open. Christmas didn’t become a national holiday until President Ulysses S. Grant signed a congressional bill into law. That was in 1870. For those that are interested, David Frum, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, provides some fascinating insights into why Christmas wasn’t celebrated by the government. Now, of course, the White House has jumped on the bandwagon and issues annual Christmas ornaments.

Abraham Lincoln Christmas Ornament 1999 Abraham-Lincoln-Cameo-Ornament-2013

 

 

 

 

That’s not to say that Christmas wasn’t important. In fact, Christmas was getting a lot of press in the 1850s, which is one of the reasons why Grant did what he did. The brutality of the Civil War also played a role in the resurgence of Christmas in American life. Ironically, it was the non-religious aspects of Christmas that saw the biggest growth during this period. Not the least of which was the popularization of Santa Claus.

While Santa may have had some origins in St. Nicholas and other regional folklore, he evolved into the jolly old elf we know today thanks in large part to Thomas Nast, a prolific illustrator and cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly magazine. It was Nast who first introduced Santa Claus (aka, Father Christmas) – as a recruiting tool for the Union army! One iconic image from the January 3, 1863 issue of Harper’s, has Santa “on a sleigh handing out packages to Union soldiers in Civil War camp.”

Thomas Nast 1863 Christmas

So Santa became propaganda rallying behind the Union war effort. The South used this to their advantage as well, telling children that those evil Yankees might block Santa’s route from the North Pole down to Confederate territory. This, of course, was long before Coca-Cola turned Santa into a soft drink marketing campaign and Hallmark made a fortune selling Christmas cards.

There was one rather important Christmas celebration for Abraham Lincoln. General William Tecumseh Sherman, who had been decimating a path toward the sea throughout the fall of 1864, wired Lincoln in the White House on December 22nd. The wire said:

“I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah.”

He also had captured “150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition,” along with “about 25,000 bales of cotton.” An ecstatic Lincoln replied with “many, many, thanks for your Christmas gift.” As devastating was Sherman’s destruction during his march, it helped bring the war to an end a few months later.

I can’t leave without also bringing you Christmas greetings from Nikola Tesla. Here’s a brief video to get you started.

Want more? Check out these photos and videos of Christmas trees made from Tesla coils.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me and Science Traveler. Watch for much, much more in the new year. [Hint – 2014 is going to be exciting!]

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Tesla and Lincoln’s 2014 Schedule is Starting to Take Shape

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David J. KentSo 2013 was an incredible year, and 2014 is already looking like it will be even more incredible. Later this month I’ll take a look back on all that has happened this past year. Meanwhile, my event schedule for 2014 is starting to take shape. Here are just a few of the events already on the calendar for the first six to eight months:

January

4th – Eric Foner dinner: The noted Abraham Lincoln historian will receive the Lincoln Award from the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. We’ll have a special dinner at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC. Foner’s many books on Abraham Lincoln include The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, which won several major awards including the Pulitzer, Lincoln, and Bancroft Prizes.

11th – Tesla Memorial Conference: For the second year in a row I will be attending the annual Nikola Tesla conference sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation and the New Yorker Hotel. More details to come but see here for recaps of the 2013 conference.

18th – Lincoln Group Book Club: Monthly meeting to discuss Herndon’s Lincoln, Ford’s Theater Educational Center.

February

2 weeks mid-month – Travel to Argentina. I’m still coordinating arrangements with a long-time Argentinian friend of mine, but it looks like a couple of weeks of hiking, fishing, kayaking, glacier hopping, etc. along the eastern ridge of the Andes in Patagonia and eventually all the way down to Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego region.

March

End of month – Have completed Lincoln book proposal in my agent’s hands (if not earlier)

April

24th – 26th – Attend American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) conference in New York City.

27th – 28th – Attend Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) conference in Maryland. [as Past-President]

May

End of month – Planned release of Nikola Tesla and Renewable Energy e-book. More details soon!

June

haew narok waterfall 3? – What is this…nothing on my calendar yet for June? I’ll need to do something about that soon.

July

1st – Release of second printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity by Sterling Publishing.

7th – Brown bag lecture at the Ipswich Museum in Ipswich, MA. In addition to being the featured speaker I’ll have books available for sale and signing.

8th – 10th – Annual Tesla Days in Philadelphia. A multi-day series of events celebrating the birthday of Nikola Tesla. Check here for information on the 2013 event.

July – September

In addition to the events listed above, and with the second printing (of double the initial print run) due in Barnes and Noble stores in July, I will likely be doing a series of speaking events. Stay tuned for more information, and check back frequently to my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page for updates. Perhaps a west coast swing? Perhaps Serbia? I’m open to ideas.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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How are Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla Connected?

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I’ve been a part time scholar of Abraham Lincoln for most of my life. And I’ve written a book on Nikola Tesla. Now it seems the two men are connected in many ways.

How can that be? After all, Nikola Tesla was born in 1856, so he was only 9-years-old when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Oh, and Tesla was born of Serbian heritage in an area that is now part of Croatia. He didn’t even make it to the United States until 1884 – almost a score years after “now he belongs to the ages” was uttered. So how could they possibly be connected?

I’ve actually come across at least a half dozen connections. I’ve already mentioned one of them on this site before. Thomas Edison, Tesla’s archrival in the war of the currents, was a big fan of “the life and character of Abraham Lincoln.”

My most recent discovery happened when I was the Library of Congress (LOC) obtaining my “Readers ID,” which is required of all scholarly researchers who want to actually touch the old letters and manuscripts. In the Thomas Jefferson building, one of three massive edifices that make up the Library of Congress, is a mural by Edwin Howland Blashfield. Circling the main reading room way up in the dome, the mural depicts about a dozen countries or regions and contributions they have made to society. Gazing upward you see this:

Abraham Lincoln LOC main reading room

Zooming in to the “one o’clock” position of the above you can see someone very familiar:

Abraham Lincoln LOC close up

According to the LOC’s Lincoln and Civil War expert Michelle Krowl, and quoting from the book On These Walls: Inscriptions & Quotations in the Library of Congress:

“America is represented by the field of science. The figure, an engineer whose face was modeled on that of Abraham Lincoln, sits pondering a problem. In front of him is an electric dynamo, representing the American contribution to advances in harnessing electricity.”

Well how about that? The visage of Abraham Lincoln is used to epitomize America, and our contribution to society is science, depicted by an electric dynamo harnessing electricity, something that Nikola Tesla was in the forefront of bringing to the American public.

How cool is that?

These are just two of several connections between Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla. I’m compiling these for an article I plan to submit this fall. Keep coming back for updates and more connections.

Meanwhile, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity continues to sell out the remainder of the stock in Barnes and Noble stores. Be sure to ask for it if you don’t see it on the shelves (some stores are down to their last copy). Of course, you can always buy a signed and inscribed copy directly from me on this website.

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Tesla to Edison to Lincoln – Connecting the Dots

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Tesla to Edison to Lincoln (say it in the cadence of “Tinkers to Evers to Chance“).

Yes, Nikola Tesla disliked Thomas Edison, but Edison greatly admired Abraham Lincoln.  I’ve always been an devotee of Abraham Lincoln.  And now I’m writing a book on Nikola Tesla [UPDATE: I now have three Tesla books and one about Edison].  Despite conflicts with himself, Tesla had won the “War of the Electric Currents” by developing the motor needed to use Alternating Current (AC) versus the Direct Current (DC) on which Edison had staked his claim. [You can read about it in Chapter 5 of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity].

So it was a nice surprise to find the photo below on my Facebook page.

Thomas Edison and Abraham LincolnPosted by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on its own Facebook page, it turns out Edison was so enamored of Lincoln “that he placed Lincoln’s profile on his own letterhead, and wrote out this testimonial in 1880:

” … the life and character of Abraham Lincoln and his great services to this country during the war of the rebellion will stand as a monument long after the granite monuments erected to his memory have crumbled in the dust.”

Who says the unschooled Edison didn’t have a way with words, eh?

The photo was on display through Labor Day 2012 at the ALPLM in Springfield, IL. It was purchased by them from the Louise and Barry Taper Collection in 2007. I expect to be making a trek (or two) to the ALPLM myself in the not too distant future as I research my Lincoln book.

Funny how my life travels from Tesla to Edison to Lincoln with only one degree of separation.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Lincoln Gets Smallpox at Gettsyburg

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SmallpoxAbraham Lincoln’s “few appropriate remarks” at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863, which we now know as the Gettysburg Address (i.e., “Four score and seven years ago today…”) is a major milestone in Lincoln’s historical legacy. Less remembered is that Lincoln was weak and dizzy as he rose to speak, with the symptoms intensifying on the train back to Washington. Back pains developed, and by the fourth day of being bedridden he experienced a scarlet rash, which soon became vesicular. Lincoln had virus-induced smallpox, or at least a less virulent form called variola or varioloid. Over the next three weeks, lesions appeared and worsened, finally drying and peeling. He remained in bed recovering for weeks.

Lincoln likely had never received a vaccination for smallpox. The vaccine had limited availability and effectiveness at that time but was given to the Army of the Potomac to protect them from the epidemic that was plaguing major cities in the United States. Lincoln recovered, and to this day there is speculation that his case was more severe than his staff admitted. His free African American valet, William Johnson, was not so lucky. Contracting smallpox soon after Lincoln, Johnson passed away in late January. He had come with Lincoln from Springfield to Washington, and Lincoln had found him jobs in the White House and the Treasury Department. Lincoln arranged for Johnson’s family to receive his pay and for his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Two days after giving his famous Address, Lincoln continued the best he could to deal with pressing concerns (the Civil War waits for no illness). Illinois Representative Elihu Washburne related that “Old Abe has a well-developed case of varioloid. I was with him an hour and a half the other day, and we went over many things.” Lincoln also managed to converse with Indiana congressman Schuyler Colfax for more than an hour the evening of the 21st Postmaster General Mongomery Blair.

At one point, Lincoln, thinking about all the office seekers that constantly barraged him for jobs, he quips: “Now I have something I can give everybody.”

Back in the midst of the 2020 beginnings of the COVID pandemic, I wrote a post on this site that dug into the details of Lincoln’s case, which said in part:

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, smallpox, like coronavirus, is an infectious disease. Caused by two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor, initial symptoms of smallpox include fever and vomiting, followed in extreme cases by sores in the mouth and a skin rash. As it worsens, large fluid-filled bumps appear on the skin, which result in characteristic and deforming scars. Like coronavirus, the smallpox virus was spread as people coughed or sneezed and droplets from their infected nose or mouth spread to other people. The smallpox scabs forming on the skin remained contagious until the last scab fell off. Coronavirus doesn’t form the scabs – it attacks the lung tissue rather than the skin – but both smallpox and coronavirus can be spread by residues left on surfaces from bedding and clothes to handrails and elevator buttons. Which is why it is so important during this coronavirus pandemic to practice social distancing, wash your hands often, and avoid touching your face.

Most scholars treated Lincoln’s case of variola as a mild case of smallpox, but some recent researchers suggest it was much more serious and that he could have died. In 2007, for example, two researchers reported that:

When Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, he was weak and dizzy; his face had a ghastly colour. That evening on the train to Washington, DC, he was febrile and weak, and suffered severe headaches. The symptoms continued; back pains developed. On the fourth day of the illness, a widespread scarlet rash appeared that soon became vesicular. By the tenth day, the lesions itched and peeled. The illness lasted three weeks. The final diagnosis, a touch of varioloid, was an old name for smallpox that was later used in the 20th century to denote mild smallpox in a partially immune individual. It was unclear whether Lincoln had been immunized against smallpox. In that regard, this review suggests that Lincoln had unmodified smallpox and that Lincoln’s physicians tried to reassure the public that Lincoln was not seriously ill. Indeed, the successful conclusion of the Civil War and reunification of the country were dependent upon Lincoln’s presidency.

So perhaps Lincoln’s case was full-blown smallpox and not simply the milder variola. We’ll never know for sure, but at least we know he managed to not only keep his sense of humor while bedridden but also carry on the business of saving the Union.

[Photo Courtesy of Library of Congress, Reference Number: LC-USZC2-1913]

Fire of Genius

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

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David J. Kent is Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity andEdison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.