Media – David J. Kent

Emancipation Memorial 150th Anniversary, and More

By David J. Kent April 10, 2026 April 10, 2026 Abraham Lincoln

Emancipation Memorial Freedmen's Memorial

On Saturday, April 11, 2026, the National Park Service will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the dedication of the Emancipation Memorial statue in Lincoln Park, Washington, DC. Also sometimes called the Freedmen’s Memorial, the statue was created because former enslaved African Americans wanted to honor the man that they saw as freeing them from slavery. Frederick Douglass was the keynote speaker at the dedication (which was April 14, 1876, also the year of the centennial of the Declaration of Independence). President Ulysses S. Grant, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and many senators and representatives were present. Impersonators of these men, plus of Charlotte Scott, the freedwoman who donated the first $5 to the statue fund, will be on hand. And so will I – I will be on the history panel portion discussing the importance and legacy of Lincoln and the statue.

Next week I’ll be in Dedham, Massachusetts to give a talk about my book, Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours, to the Olde Colony Civil War Round Table.

The following week I’ll be talking about Lincoln in New England in my hometown of Ipswich, Massachusetts. If you’re in the area, you can register for the free event at the Ipswich Public Library here.

Ipswich Public Library

Then it’s up to Vermont to speak at the 2nd Annual Lincoln Forum Spring Conference held at Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home in Manchester, VT. That talk will be very special, as I’ll relate Lincoln’s two New England trips to the larger topic of “From Human Rights to Civil Rights.” More information at the Lincoln Forum site here.

Hildene, Manchester, Vermont

Plenty more coming along after that, so check out my media page for more.

Lincoln in New England book cover

Now Available: Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours. Or Order directly at:

Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Bookshop

Join me on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook and on Instagram.

David J. Kent is Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of many books on Abraham Lincoln, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Edison.

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Lincoln Log Podcast – Lincoln’s Approach to Science and Technology

By David J. Kent February 14, 2023 February 14, 2023 Abraham Lincoln

The Lincoln Log podcast is a program of the Abraham Lincoln Association based in Springfield, Illinois. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the podcast’s host, Joshua Claybourn, an attorney and historian focused primarily on Abraham Lincoln’s youth. In the podcast we looked at Lincoln’s approach to science and technology, which I discuss in depth in my book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America. The podcast is available both on YouTube video and audio-only via Apple Podcasts (click on the links or pictures below).

Here is the YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8URZ5tjt6I&t=1s

And here is the Apple Podcast version: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-kent-on-lincolns-approach-to-science-and/id1515931488?i=1000594407585

Both run about 45 minutes.

In a far-ranging interview, Josh and I discussed Lincoln’s approach to promoting science and technology in everyday life and during the Civil War. We also talked about how Lincoln worked to institutionalize science and technology at the federal government level to help put the United States on a path toward continued development.

You can catch any or all of the interviews and presentations I’ve done for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. Just scroll through my Media page for events with President Lincoln’s Cottage, the Abraham Lincoln Looking for Lincoln program, my interview on The Pat Williams Show (founder of the Orlando Magic basketball team), the Our American Stories radio program, and much more.

Plus, check out upcoming events.

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.

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Join Me for Two Special Abraham Lincoln Presentations This Week (Plus a Bonus)

By David J. Kent January 9, 2023 January 9, 2023 Abraham Lincoln

This will be a busy week, with two special Abraham Lincoln presentations coming up on Wednesday and Thursday. Both will be virtual, so take a look at the info and links below and join me!

Wednesday, January 11, 8 pm EST/7 pm CST: I will give a special presentation on Wednesday as part of the Looking for Lincoln conversations program based in Springfield, Illinois. The topic is “How Abraham Lincoln Institutionalized Science and Technology in the Federal Government,” which builds mainly off of one chapter in my recent book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America. This virtual program is free to all on January 8th beginning at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST. A Q&A will be open to all virtual attendees. See it live on the Looking for Lincoln Facebook or YouTube pages.

Watch live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y48_SKeRfqM

Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/523737299725293

Thursday, January 12, 6:30-7:30 pm EST: President Lincoln’s Cottage presents a series of Scholar Sessions. The virtual program will feature a conversation between the Cottage’s President/CEO Michael Atwood Mason and Lincoln Group president David J. Kent. They will discuss a wide range of topics including Lincoln’s commitment to modernizing American and other aspects of Lincoln’s life. Following their conversation, the event will be opened up to all virtual attendees for a Q&A period. Lincoln Cottage members can participate for free; there is a $10 fee for non-members.

And the bonus!

Tuesday, January 17, 6:00 pm EST: The Lincoln Group of DC holds its monthly Zoom meeting featuring Diana Schaub discussing her book, His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved a Nation. Dr. Schaub is a professor of political science at Loyola University Maryland and a member of the Board of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute. The Lincoln Group’s study forum analyzed her book in the spring of 2021, so we can safely say that this presentation is not to be missed. This is a free virtual event.

More details and to register: https://www.lincolnian.org/event-details/lincolns-greatest-speeches-6-pm-zoom-only

With Lincoln’s birthday, the 160th anniversary of the final Emancipation Proclamation, major Civil War events, and the 160th anniversary of the assassination all coming up soon, I’ll be incredibly busy over the next few months. Check out my Media page for upcoming events (and to see videos/audio links to previous events).

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.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.