Tag: Abraham Lincoln

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A Busy Week for Abraham Lincoln

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Vinnie Reams statue - US CapitolAnd what a week it was. March 4th marked the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration and there were several events in Washington DC and elsewhere to commemorate the occasion. And several cool opportunities to hang out with Lincoln scholars, famous actors, and distinguished members of the Supreme Court (not real) and the press (real).

The evening of March 4th brought me to Statuary Hall in the Capitol. Now filled with statues of famous historical figures – two commissioned by each state of the Union – the Hall was actually the House of Representatives during Lincoln’s one and only term as a U.S. Congressman from 1847-1849. Long before anyone in the capital city had heard of him, Lincoln was a back bencher in the House; literally.

Lincoln desk location

Way in the back of the room is a marker on the floor where Lincoln’s desk once stood. Behind it is a room that once was the post office, and where Lincoln used to hang out between votes to tell stories. The room is now part of current Majority Whip Steve Scalice’s office suite, but I was given a private look by Congressman Rodney L. Davis before he took the podium to speak at the event.

Statuary Hall

The event itself included remarks by Davis, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, Senator Mark Kirk, and former Secretary of Transportation and Congressman Ray LaHood, all Illinois natives. Lincoln experts Harold Holzer and Frank Williams gave historical perspectives, as did Howard University Professor Edna Greene Medford channeling Frederick Douglass. Actor Stephen Lang (Avatar, Gettysburg) gave a wonderful reading of the 2nd Inaugural Address.

Handwritten 2nd Inaugural Address

But that was just the beginning. The Library of Congress, directly across the street from the Capitol, had a once in a life-time display of the entire 2nd Inaugural Address handwritten by Abraham Lincoln (long before there were speechwriters and teleprompters). Normally they only bring out the last page for public viewing, but as you can see in the photo, exposure to light has yellowed the page. So seeing the entire document on display is treat (it was on display for only four days and is now back in the vault). Also shown was the typeset copy he read from on that occasion. Even more of a treat, Library of Congress Lincoln and Civil War expert Michelle Krowl was on hand to explain the background.

Lincoln 2nd Inaugural

Last, but certainly not least, was the Lincoln Group of DC’s very own 2nd Inaugural events, beginning Saturday morning, March 7th, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On hand were Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd, Dr. Lucas Morel of Washington and Lee University, the aforementioned Dr. Edna Greene Medford of Howard University, musical entertainment by Bobby Horton and the Children of Gospel Choir, Lincoln Group of DC President Karen Needles, Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase (splendidly played by Lincoln Group VP John O’Brien), and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln (Michael Krebs and Debra Ann Miller).

Lincoln raising hat

I’ll have more on the 2nd Inaugural events later, but the morning went off perfectly with bright sunshine and tons of civilian guests invited to hear Abraham Lincoln take the oath of office. And here’s something that couldn’t have happened 150 years ago – Abraham Lincoln took selfies with hundreds of people on the steps of the Memorial after the event!

Lincoln Selfies

If you couldn’t be with us, you’re in luck – CSPAN broadcast the event live but you can watch the entire ceremony here:

CSPAN Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural

After the swearing in we retired to the historic Willard Hotel, where Lincoln stayed upon his arrival in Washington prior to moving into the “big White House.” Following a delicious luncheon, Drs. Morel and Medford provided a few additional words and Bobby Horton sung for us some of Lincoln’s favorite tunes (including “Dixie,” which the North had duly won back from the South). The day was capped with an evening concert by Horton at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church (“Lincoln’s Church”).

Check out the new Lincoln Group of DC web page for more information on upcoming events (and there are many)!

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: 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.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address – His Greatest Speech

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Those who memorized the Gettysburg Address or trudged through the logic of the Cooper Union speech may offer some argument, but many scholars consider Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address to have been his greatest speech. He gave it 150 years ago today, March 4, 1865.

Lincoln 2nd inauguration

Much more concise and philosophical than his first inaugural address, this second inaugural came at a critical time in the Civil War. The previous November Lincoln had pulled out a resounding victory in the the presidential elections that only a few months before appeared to be an impossible dream. Sherman’s march to the sea and gift of the city of Savannah to Lincoln for Christmas helped shine light on what would be the end of the war just weeks after Lincoln took his oath of office for the second time.

The speech is somber even as it anticipates the successful ending of the war that had ravaged the land for four years. Then, while all “dreaded” the impending war, and “sought to avert it,” still, “the war came.” Now, the speech’s biblical references delve deep into the morality of the war, of slavery, and of the future.

He used alliteration to plead for the war to end.

“Fondly do we hope–fervently do we pray–that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.”

It’s final passage is perhaps the greatest call for humanity ever written:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan–to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.“

Of course, no one knew that Lincoln had only weeks left to live. Or that his assassin was on the balcony above him as Lincoln delivered his inaugural address.

Much has been written about the speech and its call for re-union of the country. Tonight I’ll be in the famed Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol attending a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the second inaugural. Chaired by historian Harold Holzer and attended by Senators, Congressman, and Lincoln historians, the inaugural address will be read by the well-known actor Stephen Lang.

Then on Saturday, March 7th, the Lincoln Group of DC hosts three amazing events. We start with a reenactment of the address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, followed by a banquet at the Willard Hotel and an evening concert at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. There is still time to join us – see the details here.

March 7 Inauguration Events

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. His next book is about Thomas Edison.

“Like” me on my Facebook author’s page and share the news with your friends using the buttons below. Also check me out on Goodreads.

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Special Abraham Lincoln 2nd Inauguration Event – All Invited

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Lincoln MemorialIn partnership with the National Park Service, the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia invites everyone to a special series of events on Saturday, March 7, 2015 where we’ll celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln will take the oath of office on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and recite his famous inaugural address.

The inauguration begins a full day encompassing three separate events. More details here.

Event 1: Inaugural reenactment at the Lincoln Memorial, 9:15 – 11:30 am [Free]

Chuck Todd, the current moderator of Meet the Press and former chief White House Correspondent will deliver the keynote address. Dr. Lucas Morel of Washington and Lee University and Dr. Edna Greene Medford of Howard University will also speak. Mr. Lincoln will take the oath of office from Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, after which we’ll have wide ranging musical entertainment by the Military District of Washington; multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and music historian Bobby Horton; and the Washington Performing Arts Society’s Children of the Gospel Choir.

This event is free and open to the public. Music begins at 9:15 am at the Lincoln Memorial.

March 7 lineup

Event 2: Lincoln Inaugural Banquet at the Willard Hotel, 1:00 – 4:00 pm [Tickets]

After the inauguration, join us at a special inaugural banquet at the historic Willard Hotel. In addition to a fantastic meal, Lucas Morel and Edna Greene Medford will discuss the impact of Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural to the past, present, and future…as well as the 50th anniversary of Selma’s “Bloody Sunday,” the topic of a recent Oscar-nominated movie co-produced by Oprah Winfrey. Bobby Horton will provide the musical entertainment!

Tickets are necessary. If you would like to hear the Bobby Horton concert but not the banquet, you can do that too! Check out the details here (scroll down for all three events).

nypres

Event 3: Bobby Horton Concert, New York Ave. Presbyterian Church, 7:30 pm [Tickets]

Bobby HortonCap off the day with an amazing concert at the church Abraham Lincoln called home, the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Bobby Horton will regale us with a full concert in this historic building beginning at 7:30 pm. For those who don’t know him, you’re in for a treat, as in his most entertaining style he will lead us in songs of the Civil War soldier, both norther and southern. More about him:

A seasoned performer, Horton is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and music historian. He has performed with the musical- comedy trio Three On a String, throughout the United States and Canada for 40 plus years. He has also produced and performed music scores for sixteen PBS films by Ken Burns – including “The Civil War”, and “Baseball,” two films for The A&E network, and twenty-one films for The National Park Service. His series of recordings of authentic period music has been acclaimed by historical organization and publications through America and Europe.

You can join us for one, two, or all three events. A shuttle bus is available for transport between the Lincoln Memorial and the Willard hotel (see links for details and tickets).

March 7 Inauguration Events

This is an incredible opportunity to take part in history at three of the city’s most historic landmarks – Lincoln Memorial, Williard hotel, and Lincoln’s Church. Please join us Saturday, March 7th for one or all of these great events.

More information and tickets can be found here.

See you on March 7th!

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. His next book is about Thomas Edison.

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Happy Birthday, Abraham Lincoln

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Lincoln Quote BustToday is the 206th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th and perhaps most well known President. And as usual, I’m chasing Abraham Lincoln.

Those who know me already understand that though my career has been in science, I’ve continued to research Abraham Lincoln independently. It began for some unremembered reason when I was young, and has continued throughout my life. Seems I’m always chasing Lincoln somewhere, and I admit having a few odd Lincoln collectibles around the house/storage. One of my prize possessions is the bust that serves as today’s photo.

It seems Lincoln has come into vogue again. A ton of special exhibits and events have been going on since his 200th birthday in 2009 and have continued over the last four years as we celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The presence of a fellow Illinoisian in the White House also sparked a great deal of interest. Besides the obvious connections, it helped that President Obama himself has a fascination with Lincoln, even to the point of reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book Team of Rivals on the campaign trail (at 850 pages, not a minor effort!) and using Lincoln’s own bible to take the oath of office.

I, too, read Team of Rivals during the bicentennial year of his birth, and like many of my nearly 1000 books on Lincoln, it’s a signed first edition. Ironically, I had been waiting for the years leading up to the bicentennial so I could help celebrate Lincoln’s birth, but then found myself relocated to a life in Brussels, Belgium during that time and missed most of the special events. Since my return to the states, however, I’ve become even more active in Lincoln-related events, joining the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia (LGDC) and this past year becoming Vice President of Outreach and Education.

In fact, LGDC will celebrate Lincoln’s birthday tonight with dinner and a lecture by acclaimed author Joseph Fornieri.

So while I’ve been chasing Lincoln most of my life, I’m very glad that so many others have finally discovered him. He is even much more fascinating – and complex – than most people realize.

Happy birthday, Mr. President, Abraham Lincoln!

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. His next book is about Thomas Edison.

“Like” me on my Facebook author’s page and share the news with your friends using the buttons below. Also check me out on Goodreads.

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Catching Up with Reality…What a Concept

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Reality…What a Concept. That was the name of a comedy album by the great Robin Williams. In some of my odder moments the phrase would pop into my head and, somehow, in ways that are better not examined too closely, everything made sense. Reality had a way of making the first week of February – indeed, the first month of 2015 – spin by so fast that the world got a little dizzying.

Hemingway's typewriterSo what has life been up to lately? Here on Science Traveler I did some science traveling into the lands of sea grass, alligators and iconic writers. I found out that Hemingway was a crazy cat lady (I kid you not). I also got to check out the cells that the four Lincoln conspirators hung out in (the four that weren’t hanged). And while my family and friends back home were dealing with sub-freezing temperatures, I was ogling Brazilian bikinis on South Beach (more on that later).

Tesla bobbleheadScience Traveler also delved into the science of Lincoln’s interest in, well, science. In particular his use of Euclid geometry in speeches and writings. And we looked at the science of Nikola Tesla the Pop Icon.

The Book JugglerHot White Snow reminisced about The Navy Man and the Poet, an homage to a known stranger and an unknown friend. And then there is The Juggler, which sounds like a good name for the next Batman villain but is actually an allegory for the frenetic pace of life at the moment.

peerreviewThe Dake Page took on two serious topics to help communicate science to the public. In this Age of Climate Denial: How Do You Tell a Reliable Blog from an Unreliable Blog? examines what makes a particular blog a good – or a bad – source of science. That is followed by Part 1 of a primer on How Peer Review Works…and Doesn’t Work. These two posts should help the public find accurate information on scientific topics, in particular, man-made climate change.

All of this is just the beginning. New science traveling plans are being negotiated. New books are in the works. And Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (and assassination 56 years later) are ready to take stage in a very big way over the next month and two and three. Oh, and the Patriots won the Super Bowl. Reality is indeed a concept.

Big announcement coming Monday, so be sure to check back!

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid traveler, and an independent Lincoln researcher. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Book Review – Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason by David Hirsch and Dan Van Haften

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Structure of ReasonThe main thesis of this book is that Abraham Lincoln’s greatness came from his mastery of the “six-books of Euclid” geometry, and the subsequent application of the six elements of Euclid into his logic, reasoning, and speeches.

Hirsch (a lawyer) and Van Haften (and engineer) demarcate many of Lincoln’s speeches, letters, and lectures into Euclid’s six elements: Enunciation, Exposition, Specification, Construction, Proof, and Conclusion. They use voluminous quotes and passages from Lincoln’s writings and employ an equally voluminous and liberal system of endnotes.

Overall, the authors have done an excellent job of documenting Lincoln’s use of logic and reasoning, as well as how the elements of Euclid can be used to parse out his speeches and letters. In my view they were somewhat less successful in teasing out whether the structure of Lincoln’s writings is the result of his active employment of Euclidean principles or that his natural inclination toward logically oriented demonstration simply backfits well into demarcation according to those principles.

While the use of long passages gives us much context into the topics being discussed by Lincoln, the authors offered little analysis other than the demarcation. This is especially true in the many appendices in which entire Lincoln speeches and letters are categorized into the six elements but no additional analysis discusses how these elements were defined by Lincoln. In fairness, some of these (e.g., the Cooper Union speech) were discussed more in depth in the book’s chapters, but the discussion throughout could have used more analytical discussion.

I also found the book to be, in essence, two books. The first is the Euclidean influence on Lincoln as I’ve focused on in this review, but a significant part of the book is about the legal profession and how Euclid’s elements may help lawyers better themselves with respect to courtroom presentation and brief writing. In these chapters, which make up much of the book, Lincoln is brought in anecdotally but isn’t the main focus. Therefore, those interested in Lincoln may drift off during the non-Lincoln legal process discussions. Each chapter ends with a section called “From Lincoln to Now” in which the authors record changes in technology and legal procedures through the present. This section may or may not be of interest to Lincoln readers.

The Euclidean influence on Lincoln is fascinating and the authors often provided useful insights for my own research on Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. The text itself can be rather dry and technical, so this book is a better fit for serious Lincoln scholars than the general public. While readers may or may not agree that the authors have met the expectations set by their preamble, I personally liked the book.

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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Fan Photos and Fun

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Time flies. Take a little science traveling trip and suddenly the month is three-quarters done. But not so done that you can’t participate in my new Fan Photos and Fun page!

Yes, a page focused on you! All of you have helped spread the word to more than 30,000 (and growing) new readers, so I owe all this success to everyone who has supported my efforts to bring science to the masses. Check out the new page – Fan Photos and Fun.

Dr. Pablo Vigliano, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-Bariloche

Dr. Pablo Vigliano, Universidad Nacional del Comahue-Bariloche

If you want to participate, feel free to send photos of you holding my book, or post it up on my Facebook author’s page. [Be sure to “Like” the page for updates and more fun stuff] If you send a photo I’ll put it up on the Fan Photos and Fun page. Let’s see how many different countries and US states we can represent.

Meanwhile, January so far has seen a visit to Miami Beach, as well as the Everglades, Key West, and the Dry Tortugas. I’ll have more on this science traveling shortly. If you missed it, also check out Tesla Takes Manhattan and a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tesla bust, New Yorker Hotel

Tesla bust, TSF photo

Not to be outdone, Hot White Snow saw essays on My Life as a Remote Control, My Greatest Difficulty on Being a Writer, and Reading is Fundamental.

The Dake Page took several looks at how 2014 became the hottest year ever recorded and how climate deniers desperately sought to deny that fact. Also examined was why 2015 is a critical year for man-made climate change action.

But this is just the beginning. On the day after I returned from my alligator hunting I received a nice little bit of news from my literary agent. I’m waiting on something official but it looks like I’ll be even busier than expected this year, and with something totally unexpected. Stay tuned for more soon!

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

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Abraham Lincoln Book Acquisitions for 2014

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Lincoln book towerI’m lucky to have a growing collection of books about Abraham Lincoln. Nowhere near the 15,000 books reportedly written about our 16th President, but my sagging bookshelves now hold over 900 titles. The number of actual books is well over 1000 when one figures that some “titles” are 3 or 6 or 10-book sets.

This year I obtained just over 60 new titles, far short of what I obtained in 2013. While I haven’t done a comparison, I may have obtained more books this year directly from the authors, along with their signatures and inscriptions. Forty-three of the newly obtained books are first editions, 14 are signed, 11 are inscribed, and seven are signed and inscribed to me personally. One book, in fact, was signed and inscribed to me by all three of its authors at the recent Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg, where I had the privilege of meeting Tom Horrocks, Harold Holzer, and Frank Williams.

I took on the role of VP of Outreach and Education for the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia in 2014, and LGDC has presented many opportunities to meet outstanding Lincoln scholars and authors. John Barr, Jonathan W. White, James Conroy and Tom Horrocks all gave presentations this year. Joseph Fornieri, whom I met at the Forum in Gettysburg, will be our Lincoln’s birthday speaker in February 2015.

The oldest book on the 2014 list of acquisitions is a 1909 “centennial” edition of Lincoln’s first and second inaugural speeches. The newest book is Harold Holzer’s Lincoln and the Power of the Press, published this fall and signed to me by Harold at the Lincoln Forum in November. I’m currently reading it so stay tuned for a book review when I’m finished.

Other special books this year include a book about Mentor Graham, who was mentor in both name and function during Lincoln’s early manhood in New Salem, Illinois. I also obtained a copy of Kirkham’s Grammar, the textbook Lincoln used to learn basic writing skills. Another favorite is Jonathan W. White’s new book Emancipation, The Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln. I’m looking forward to trekking down to Newport News, where Jonathan has volunteered to show me around the USS Monitor exhibit the Mariner’s Museum.

While writing this I realized I actually have obtained many more books than are currently listed. As I continue the research for my forthcoming book I’ve been downloading PDF files of several books that helped shape Lincoln’s education over his lifetime. I’ll have to catalog them and do a separate post in the future.

Much more to come…2015 looks to be an exciting year. See the list of books below.

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.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

Here’s the 2014 list:

Abraham Lincoln: First and Second Inaugural Addresses (and other speeches) 1909
Lincoln’s Last Speech in Springfield in the Campaign of 1858 1925
Ambrose, Stephen E. Nothing Like It In The World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 2000
Angle, Paul M. A Shelf of Lincoln Books: A Critical Bibliography of Lincolniana 1946
Bacon, Benjamin W. Sinews of War: How Technology, Industry, and Transportation Won the Civil War 1997
Baringer, William E. Lincoln Day by Day: A Chronology 1809-1865, Volume I: 1809-1848; Volume II: 1849-1860; Volume II: 1861-1865 1960
Barr, John McKee Loathing Lincoln: An American Tradition From the Civil War to the Present 2014
Barton, William E. Abraham Lincoln And His Books 1920
Bauer, Charles J. The Odd Couple Who Hanged Mary Surratt! (Preston King and Jim Lane) 1980
Bishop, Jim The Day Lincoln Was Shot 1955
Borritt, Gabor (ed) The Gettysburg Nobody Knows 1999
Boritt, Gabor S. (ed) Lincoln The War President 1992
Bray, Robert Reading with Lincoln 2010
Brown University Books at Brown 1960
Bruce, Robert V. The Launching of Modern American Science 1987
Burkhimer, Michael 100 Essential Lincoln Books 2003
Burlingame, Michael Honest Abe, Dishonest Mary 1994
Conroy, James B. Our One Common Country: Abraham Lincoln and the Hampton Roads Peace Conference of 1865 2014
Corry, John A. Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Him President 2003
Denenberg, Barry Lincoln Shot: A President’s Life Remembered 2008
Dennett, Tyler (Ed) Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and Letters of John Hay 1988
Duncan, Kunigunde and D.F. Nickols Mentor Graham: The Man Who Taught Lincoln 1944
Fairfax County Civil War Centennial Commission Fairfax County and the War Between the States 1987
Fletcher, George P. Our Secret Constitution: How Lincoln Redefined American Democracy 2001
Fornieri, Joseph R. Abraham Lincoln: Philosopher Statesman 2014
Gary, Ralph Following in Lincoln’s Footsteps: A Complete Annotated Reference to Hundreds of Historical Sites Visited by Abraham Lincoln 2001
Goodheart, Adam 1861: The Civil War Awakening 2011
Grant, Ulysses S. Personal Memoirs 1999
Haydon, F. Stansbury Military Ballooning during the Early Civil War 2000
Herdon, William H. and Weik, Jesse William Herndon’s Life of Lincoln 1942
Holzer, Harold Lincoln and the Power of the Press 2014
Holzer, Harold Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America 2012
Horrocks, Thomas A. Lincoln’s Campaign Biographies 2014
Horrocks, Thomas A., Holzer, Harold, and Williams, Frank J. (Editors) The Living Lincoln 2011
Humes, James C. The Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: A Treasury of Quotations, Anecdotes, and Observations 1999
Jorgenson, Tim Mrs. Keckly Sends Her Regards 2007
Katcher, Philip The Civil War Day By Day 201
Kirkham, Samuel Kirkham’s Grammar: The Book That Shaped Lincoln’s Prose 1999
Martin, Iain C. Worthy of Their Esteem: The Timeless Words and Sage Advice of Abraham Lincoln, America’s Greatest President 2009
Mead, Franklin B. Heroic Statues in Bronze of Abraham Lincoln 1932
Miller, Richard Lawrence Lincoln and his World: Prairie Politician 1834-1842 2008
Mills, Eric Chesapeake Bay in the Civil War 1996
O’Reilly, Bill and Zimmerman, Dwight Jon Lincoln’s Last Days: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever 2012
Percoco, James A. Summers with Lincoln: Looking For The Man in the Monuments 2008
Poleskie, Stephen The Balloonist: The Story of T.S.C. Lowe – Inventor, Scientist, Magician, and Father of the U.S. Air Force 2007
Randall, J.G. Mr. Lincoln 1957
Rice, Wallace The Lincoln Year Book ?
Riddle, Donald W. Lincoln Runs for Congress 1948
Ross, Charles Trial by Fire: Science, Technology and the Civil War 2000
Sandburg, Carl Abe Lincoln Grows Up 1956
Stashower, Daniel The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War 2013
Steiner, Mark E. An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln 2006
Stoddard, William O. Inside the White House in War Times: Memoirs and Reports of Lincoln’s Secretary 2000
Thomas, Benjamin P. Lincoln’s New Salem 1987
Thompson, Frank Abraham Lincoln: Twentieth Century Portrayals 1999
Tyrner-Tyrnauer, A.R. Lincoln and the Emperors 1962
Waugh, John C. One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln’s Road to the Civil War 2007
Waugh, John C. One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln’s Road to the Civil War 2007
White, Jonathan W. Emancipation, The Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln 2014
Widmer, Ted (Ed) The New York Times Disunion 2013
Wilson, Douglas L. Lincoln before Washington: New Perspectives on the Illinois Years 1997
Wilson, Douglas L. Lincoln’s Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words 2006
Zeitz, Joshua Lincoln’s Boys: John Hay, John Nicolay, and the War for Lincoln’s Image 2014
Lincoln Takes Norfolk 1983
Lincoln Herald Fall 1966 1966
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Rounding Up the Week in Science, Sushi, and Season

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The annual holiday season brings many recurring events – reflections on the year gone by, get-togethers with family and friends, and the inevitable gaining of a few extra pounds. It’s a busy time of year, but science and sushi continues unabated. In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap:

Dreaming of SushiHot White Snow featured two articles. Dreaming of Sushi reflects on a documentary about Jiro Ono, an octogenarian sushi master, whose exclusive restaurant in the Ginza is tops on my list next time I’m in Tokyo. That We Here Highly Resolve, inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous words in the Gettysburg Address, takes a look back at New Year’s resolutions…and a look forward to future plans.

Thomas Nast 1863 ChristmasLincoln’s Christmas gift – and the role of Santa Claus in Civil War propaganda – get some attention on the Smithsonian Civil War Studies online newsletter and here in Science Traveler. The gift – a coastal city in the South. The propaganda – Thomas Nast introduces the version of the jolly old elf that we’ve come to know so well today.

Half Dome from Glacier Point

Abraham Lincoln also played an important role in another icon of American history – the establishment of Yosemite National Park. Set aside by Lincoln in 1864, the Yosemite Grant provided federal protection for Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove. Initially run by the new state of California, Yosemite later became a National Park through the efforts of John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson.

You might recognize that last name. This is the same Robert Underwood Johnson who, as editor of Century Magazine, published the first serialization of Lincoln’s life by John Nicolay and John Hay. Johnson would also become close friends with a certain Nikola Tesla (as would Muir).

Wardencliffe Brick CertificateWhich gets us to Tesla in 2014 and Beyond. Nikola Tesla had a great year, including major progress on the rejuvenation of Wardenclyffe into a science center and museum. Science Traveler will be right there under your feet as you stroll the grounds after renovations are completed. Yes, I bought a brick for Nik. And you can too. You can also join Tesla fans and researchers at the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference coming up on January 11th in the New Yorker Hotel.

bluemarble12Climate Change got its own 2014 Year in Review on The Dake Page. It was a busy year indeed for the climate, with several major reports updated, some tentative but forward-looking gains made, and a historic agreement between China and the U.S., the two biggest carbon emitters across the globe. Ah, but major roadblocks still exist, not the least of which is how the media actually helps keep climate denial alive.

Finally, in a bit of sad news, I found out last night that one of my science teachers from high school passed away on Christmas day. Only last year did I reconnect with Rick Rafuse after many decades (along with other high school friends). His sudden passing is a shock. My condolences to his family and friends.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years and is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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A Civil War Christmas

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The American Civil War was a time of great strife in the nation. Over 620,000 men died on both sides of the conflict. In keeping with the somber spirit of the times, President Abraham Lincoln sent no Christmas cards and set up no Christmas tree. Of course, Christmas itself didn’t become a national holiday until President Ulysses S. Grant signed a congressional bill into law in 1870.

That’s not to say that Christmas wasn’t important. In fact, Christmas was getting a lot of press in the 1850s and 60s, 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

Another showed a Union soldier home on furlough for the holidays (Santa lurks in the left hand panel).

Thomas Nast Christmas 1863

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.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me and Science Traveler. Watch for much, much more in the new year.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (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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[Note: This is a slightly modified version of an article first posted in 2013]