Tag: abrahamlincoln

No comments

Happy Thanksgiving…Thanks to Abraham Lincoln

  By

ThanksgivingWe can thank none other than Abraham Lincoln for the great turkey-eating, pie-gulping, football-watching holiday of Thanksgiving. Yes, Abraham Lincoln.

Sure, the pilgrims started the first Thanksgiving repasts in early 17th century Plymouth, Massachusetts. Or maybe they didn’t. In any case, while days of thanksgiving were usually held in the fall to offer thanks for the bounty of the harvest, the holiday was held only sporadically and on different dates in different states during our early history as a country. All that was changed by our 16th president in 1863, who in the midst of the Civil War issued a Proclamation of Thanksgiving. Lincoln states:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

The proclamation, which was hand-written by Secretary of State William Seward and then signed by Abraham Lincoln, established the precedent for the annual day of thanksgiving on the federal level. Lincoln’s Proclamation sought to bring together all Americans – in the north and the south and the east and the west. Whether it had any significant effect in that regard is debatable, as the holiday wasn’t actually celebrated nationally until the late 1870s after reconstruction has more or less reunified the country. Still, he had the right idea.

Today the fourth Thursday each November is set aside for all of us to give thanks for all with which we have been blessed. Abraham Lincoln remembered this during a time of great strife so it should be easy for us to remember all that we have gained since that era. With that spirit in mind I give thanks for all the wonderful people I have, and have had, in my life. Thank you all, and be well always.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. 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.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

6 Comments

The Lincoln Forum Comes to Gettysburg

  By , ,

Each year the Lincoln Forum comes to Gettysburg, PA, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech. This year marks the 19th annual symposium, and like all the symposia that preceded it, good times were had by all as over 300 learned people learned even more about our 16th President.

This was my first time in attendance at the Forum as the week had always coincided with the annual SETAC meeting. A shift in SETAC’s schedule put me in Vancouver a week early, which freed me up for the short drive to Gettysburg. Based on my experiences last week, I’ll definitely be at the Lincoln Forum in 2015 as they celebrate their “one-score” anniversary.

Abe and Me

Abraham Lincoln (aka, George Buss) and the author

As luck would have it I was able to meet two Abraham Lincolns (my first presidential photo-op). George Buss, in full regalia, is an active member of the Lincoln Forum. Jim Getty (more on him in a moment) is one of the most revered Lincoln presenters in the country.

Harold Holzer

Harold Holzer at the lectern, watched by Frank Williams

The conference was a cornucopia of Lincoln scholars. I was able to meet such esteemed historians as Harold Holzer, Frank Williams, Edna Greene Medford, Catherine Clinton, William C. “Jack” Davis, Craig L. Symonds, and, just one week after seeing them in Washington at the Lincoln Group of DC symposium, Tom Horrocks and Jonathan W. White. If all that scholarship wasn’t enough, noted Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize winner James McPherson was there with his new book on another Civil War President – Jefferson Davis.

James McPherson

James McPherson

I also had the chance to speak with Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago, IL. A published author himself, Dan has been instrumental in bringing Lincoln book authors to the public, both through store sales and his Virtual Book Signing events. I also spoke several times with David Hirsch and Dan Van Haften, authors of “Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason,” a book that delves into Lincoln’s use of Euclid geometry in his speeches. Given my own work in progress – a book on Lincoln’s “sciencey” side – I felt privileged at the opportunity to get their insights first hand.

Panel discussion

Panel with (l-r) Jack Davis, Craig Symonds, James McPherson, John Marszalek, Richard McMurry

Like most conferences, the annual Lincoln Forum symposium includes stellar speakers, stimulating panel discussions, and significant award presentations. Unlike some conferences, the camaraderie is palpable, as both old and new friends gleefully share their interest in one of our greatest presidents.

Jim Getty

Jim Getty

And then there is Jim Getty. Each year the Lincoln Forum gives the Richard Nelson Current Achievement Award to someone who has contributed to “the spirit of Lincoln in both word and deed.” This year the recipient of the award was kept secret for only the second time, then given to an unsuspecting Jim Getty for his nearly 40-year career as a Lincoln presenter.

Bobby Horton

Bobby Horton

Finally, the conference closed with a performance by instrumentalist and singer Bobby Horton, known for his work with Ken Burns on the original PBS miniseries, The Civil War. The best part is that I will get to see Bobby Horton again soon as he provides musical enlightenment during the Lincoln Group of DC’s “2nd Inaugural Address” festivities in March 2015.

Click on these links to get information about joining the Lincoln Forum and the Lincoln Group of DC.

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

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.

One Comment

Today is the Wedding Anniversary of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

  By

Abraham and Mary Todd LincolnOn November 4, 1842, Abraham Lincoln rushed around to his friends and invited them to his one-day’s notice wedding to Mary Todd. The sudden marriage came as a shock to their family and friends, many of whom weren’t aware the couple had resumed their courtship almost two years after the ignominious “fatal first” that ended their prior engagement.

Even Lincoln seemed a bit shell shocked when a week later he wrote to a friend. Mostly a dry letter dealing with legal issues, Lincoln’s last line was “Nothing new here, except my marrying, which to me, is a matter of profound wonder.” Some have argued that Mary seduced him into premarital sex, thus forcing Lincoln into a quick marriage. Friends reported that he went to the altar muttering he was going to hell. In any case, their first son Robert was born on August 1, 1843, a mere 8 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days after the wedding.

As I’ve noted in a prior post, though an odd couple in a ofttimes tempestuous marriage, the two remained together for more than two decades, ending only at the hands of an assassin.

One note about the image used above. It never happened. Lincoln was 6’4″ in height, so the 5’2″ Mary refused to have any photographs taken with her towering husband. Despite many photographs of Lincoln and Mary independently, none appear to exist with the two of them together. She wouldn’t even consent to a photo similar to the image above where he is sitting and she is standing. There are many etchings and paintings done after the fact, but no actual photographs. And then there is this:

AL and MTL

This photograph purporting to show them together is not what it seems. It is actually a cropped closeup of two separate photos, one of him and one of her, that have been cut out, partially reversed, retouched, and rephotographed together along with a photo of the White House. Think of it as the 19th century version of Photoshop. art11026.14576.widea.0Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

So happy anniversary to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. May your memories live on forever.

Interested in Abraham Lincoln? Then check out the Lincoln Group of the DC.

David J. Kent is a science traveler. He is also 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.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page. Share with your friends using the buttons below.

 

 

One Comment

Last Chance to Join the Election of 1864 Symposium (The Reelection of Abraham Lincoln)

  By ,

1864-poster.gifAbraham Lincoln was reelected for a second term in 1864, which surprised everyone, including Lincoln. After three years of a brutal war pitting American against American, many people were ready for a change. But “changing horses in the middle of the stream,” as Lincoln once noted, would lead to the destruction of the United States.

Find out why the election was so critical during the Lincoln Group of DC’s full-day symposium on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at the E. Barrett Prettyman District Courthouse in downtown Washington, D.C. Some of the most prominent Lincoln scholars will be explaining just how critical this election was, and how it went from a surefire Lincoln loss to his victory. Featured presenters are:

Michael Burlingame: One of the most respected Lincoln experts in the world, Burlingame holds the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Author and editor of many books on Lincoln, his topic for the symposium is “Radicals, Abolitionists, and Lincoln’s Reelection.”

Thomas Horrocks: Director of special collections and the John Hay Library at Brown University, Horrocks is the author/editor for multiple Lincoln books and will speak on “The Rail Splitter as Father Abraham: Lincoln’s 1864 Campaign Biographies.”

Elizabeth R. Varon is the Langbourne M. Williams Professor of History at the University of Virginia and author of several books, including her latest: Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War. Her topic for the symposium is “Catastrophe or Setback? The Election of 1864 in Confederate Eyes.”

Jennifer Weber is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Kansas and specializes in Civil War studies. Her book Copperheads was widely acclaimed. Dr. Weber will speak on “The Summer of ’64.”

Jonathan W. White: Assistant Professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and the author of Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln. He will speak on “Emancipation and the Soldier Vote of 1864.”

More details on the speakers and the program can be found on the website of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia.

Time is running out so go to the link above to register to attend. You can also register at the door. The symposium is Saturday, November 8, 2014 and runs from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

You don’t want to miss this event (or any of the other 150th anniversary events the Lincoln Group has coming up). Join us now!

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. His most recent article, “Lincoln and the Rule of Three,” was published in the September 2014 issue of The Lincolnian. 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.

1864-banner
One Comment

Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1864

  By ,

th_LincolnAs the Civil War raged on, things weren’t looking so good for the reelection of Abraham Lincoln. In August 1864 Lincoln asked his entire cabinet to sign the back of what became the “blind memorandum,” essentially a promise to work with whomever wins the November elections to save the Union before the new president would be sworn into office.

 

And yet Lincoln was reelected, by a wide margin in fact. How did this happen?

Find out on the 150th anniversary of that election, on November 8th, 2014 at the E. Barrett Prettyman District Courthouse in Washington, DC. That’s when the Lincoln Group of DC is sponsoring a full day of expert historians examining The Election of 1864.

1864-banner

At the symposium you’ll find out why Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee tried so hard to disrupt the northern elections. You’ll find out how Lincoln prepared for what appeared to be a looming defeat. And you’ll find out what changed all that, from critical military victories to strategic political maneuvering. The result was the reelection of Abraham Lincoln and the saving of the Union.

Join distinguished Lincoln experts Michael Burlingame*, Thomas Horrocks, Elizabeth Varon, Jennifer Weber, and Jonathan W. White as they explore every facet of an election that is without a doubt one of the most important elections in our nation’s history. The very fact that it occurred at all during a Civil War is significant; even more so because a different result would likely have split our nation apart.

It’s not too late to register for the event. Click to go to the Lincoln Group website and join us for what is guaranteed to be a highlight of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Also, Like our Facebook page to keep up to date on Lincoln Group events and information on our sixteenth president.

[*Note: Michael Burlingame has graciously agreed to stand in for our scheduled keynote speaker, Dr. Allen Guelzo, who has had to withdraw for personal reasons. Watch for Dr. Guelzo to join us next March at the Lincoln Inaugural reenactment and gala.]

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. His most recent article, “Lincoln and the Rule of Three,” was published in the September 2014 issue of The Lincolnian. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

2 Comments

Abraham Lincoln and the Rule of Three

  By

Abraham Lincoln rose from a nearly non-existent formal education to become the 16th President of the United States. In a brief biography provided to friends endorsing his 1860 nomination he wrote “I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule of Three; but that was all.” That was the extent of his formal schooling.

Lincoln sum book rule of three

Page from Lincoln’ sum book. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Anyone with an interest in Lincoln – or frontier schooling in general – has likely heard those words, but very few people probably know what they mean. The reading and writing make sense, but “ciphering to the rule of three?”

It turns out the “rule of three” is a way of solving proportions, what we more commonly today call “ratios.” It is a form of cross-multiplication in which the problem is set up such that the unknown quantity is the last “extreme” in a series of numbers exhibiting a proportional relationship. The basic form is:

 

Rule of Three basic form2

The idea is to determine the value of x when you know the values of a, b, and c. The Rule of Three states that you simply rearrange this simple ratio formula into:

Rule of Three rearranged

Another way of looking at it is by laying out the three known terms in a linear sequence (a –> b –> c) and then multiplying the last term (c) by the middle term (b) and then dividing that product by the first term (a).

That’s it. Not very complicated on its face, but this simple rule could incorporate not only multiplication and division but also addition and subtraction. Lincoln likely used it to figure out proportions and costs for different supplies during the time he was a young storekeeper in New Salem. Of course, Lincoln went on to learn long division and other math functions as well, not to mention he mastered the six books of Euclid geometry. He also taught himself the law, political oratory, and the logical thinking that helped him define the slavery debate and, eventually, make him one of our greatest presidents.

Not bad for a guy with less than a year of formal schooling.

[The above is adapted from my book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius and an article published in The Lincolnian, a publication of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia.]

 

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.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is 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 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.

 

 

No comments

Book Review – Congressman Lincoln by Chris DeRose

  By ,

Congressman Lincoln by Chris DeRoseAuthor Chris DeRose takes a more detailed look at a period in Abraham Lincoln’s life that is normally glossed over in other biographies – his single term as a U.S. Congressman. The first few chapters highlight the political status of the time, as well as the political wrangling between different factions both within and external to the Whig party. The book goes into various aspects of the key question of the day, slavery. Doing so makes it clear that the post-Civil War reinvention of history to suggest the South wasn’t fighting to maintain and expand slavery is hogwash.

Despite dismissals by others that Lincoln’s term in congress was lacking, DeRose shows that many important decisions were made and that Lincoln was much more active than most freshman congressmen. Unlike first termers in general, Lincoln was willing to stand up for what he believed, even when it wasn’t particularly popular. Several actions related to slavery that would become important later, e.g., the end of the Mexican War and how California and New Mexico were brought in to the Union, were argued and somewhat decided. Critical friendships with players that would be allies or adversaries during his own presidency are also discussed.

Overall, this is much-needed survey of Lincoln’s time in Congress.

Further note: After I had written the above review I had the pleasure of meeting Chris DeRose in September 2014. Chris presented his new book “The Presidents’ War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War That Divided Them” to the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. He has recently become Chair of the Scholarly Advisory Group at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C.

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. His most recent article, “Lincoln and the Rule of Three,” was published in the September 2014 issue of The Lincolnian. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

No comments

Book Review – Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life by Adam Gopnik

  By ,

Gopnik Angels and AgesThe title comes from the controversy (assuming you knew there was a controversy) over whether Edwin Stanton, upon Lincoln taking his last breath, said “Now he belongs to the ages” or “Now he belongs to the angels.” With this contrivance as a starting point Gopnik presents what amounts to six essays.

Gopnik does look at Lincoln and Darwin and their contributions, habits, beliefs, and psyches in ways different than do other writers. Whereas James Landers’ Lincoln and Darwin: Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion (reviewed recently by me here) gets way into the weeds of comparison, Gopnik takes a more philosophical and less comparable approach. In doing so he reveals some interesting insights into how the two men thought, as well as their use of language (Lincoln the language of the law, Darwin of natural observation).

And yet, the language of the essays themselves tend toward the overtly literary. Often it seems the author is trying to impress the reader with his soliloquy rather than present an impression of the men he is profiling. The first and last chapters in particular seem more about Gopnik than Lincoln and Darwin. That said, the intervening four chapters, hopping between the two men, are worth wading through for the gems that may or may not be obvious to most readers.

I do recommend those interested in Lincoln and Darwin read the book, but for the bigger picture insights into their habits rather than the details that support them. For more comprehensive books comparing these two men born on the same day, check out the James Landers book mentioned above and a book by David R. Contosta called Rebel Giants: The Revolutionary Lives of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.

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.

No comments

Where to Find Abraham Lincoln in Washington DC

  By ,

Abraham Lincoln spent about six years in Washington, D.C. The first two were from 1847 to 1849 when he served his one term as a U.S. Congressman from Illinois. The last four – the last four years of his life – were as President of the United States during one of the most tumultuous times of our nation’s history. Many statues and other honors to our sixteenth president can be found in the city, and one of the oldest organizations dedicated to the celebration of his life is based here – the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia.

LGDC banner

In these sesquicentennial years of the Civil War, the Lincoln Group of DC has been active staging a variety of events acknowledging key events in Lincoln’s presidency, as well as highlighting some of the wonderful authors and historians that write about it. Coming off our recent dinner lecture by author Chris DeRose and the beginning of this year’s Lincoln Group book discussion, the following few weeks and months are especially busy. Anyone interested in Abraham Lincoln and in the DC area can join us for the following (click on the links for more information):

October 4th: Motorcoach trip tracking Sheridan’s 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign and its impact on the crucial presidential election of 1864.

October 21st: Dinner lecture by John McKee Barr, historian and author of “Loathing Lincoln.” (Scroll down after clicking on link)

November 8th: Symposium – The Election of 1864. A full day featuring such notable Lincoln scholars as Allen Guelzo, Jonathan White, and many more. This is absolutely not to be missed!

December 16th: Dinner lecture by Gerard Magliocca – “Turning Lincoln’s Vision into Law: John Bingham and the Fourteenth Amendment.”

And that is just the beginning! In 2015 we’ll have more monthly dinner speakers, a spring symposium, and an amazing 2nd Inauguration Day trio of events featuring Bobby Horton and a reenactment on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. [And if you look close, you might just see a certain filmmaker of documentaries on the Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, National Parks, and the Roosevelts. But ssshhhh, you didn’t hear that yet.]If you have any interest in Abraham Lincoln or the Civil War, now is the time to get involved with the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. Check out our website, read our newsletters, join our book discussion group, ride along on our expert-guided bus tours, meet current Lincoln authors at our dinner meetings, and share your interests with some of the most knowledgeable Lincoln scholars and aficionados in the world.

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.

No comments

Abraham Lincoln, Ballooning, and the Technology of War – Redux

  By ,

Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln is the only president to ever get a patent, an ingenious, though impractical, method for lifting boats over shoals. This interest in technology served him well during the Civil War as battles increasingly relied on mechanization for transportation, communication, and weaponry.

I’ve hinted at some of these things in previous posts and will be enlarging on this as my new book develops. As I do that, here are some relevant posts you may have missed:

James L. GreenAbraham Lincoln’s Air Force – Balloons in the Civil War: A discussion with James L. Green, a Director of Planetary Science with NASA and a worldwide expert on Thaddeus Lowe and the use of gas-filled balloons during the early part of the war. Green is working on a new book on the topic and was gracious enough to host me for a lunch discussion.

Organized by the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, this exhibition explores how cutting-edge Civil War technological innovations captured Lincoln's fascination and impacted the conduct of the war.Abraham Lincoln and the Technology of War: A recent exhibit held in the Ford’s Theatre Center for Education and Leadership displayed telegraphs, weapons, and other artifacts reflecting various forms of technology that helped the North win the war.

Lincoln and the Tools of War by Robert V. Bruce: My review of the definitive treatment on the technology of weaponry in the Civil War.

While you’re at it, check out these two reviews of books comparing Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, two men born on the same day who each left a lasting legacy that changed the world.

Rebel Giants: The Revolutionary Lives of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, by David R. Contosta.

Lincoln and Darwin: Shared Visions of Race, Science and Religion, by James Lander

Check back soon for more about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. BTW, did you know that Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln have a World’s Fair connection? Find out more here.

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.