New York Ave. Presbyterian Church

As the current day political conventions get ready to officially name Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the Democratic and Republican nominees, it brings us back to when a relatively unknown Abraham Lincoln unexpectedly gained the nomination – and won the election – of 1860.

Going into the Republican convention of 1860 the most likely nominee was New York Senator William H. Seward, with Ohio Governor Salmon P. Chase a close second and likely strong showings by Senator Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania and former Congressman Edward Bates of Missouri. Oh, and then there was Abraham Lincoln, who hadn’t held political office since his one term as a U.S. Congressman ended a dozen years before.

The surprising results of the nomination convention and election will be the subject of a special event sponsored by the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia (LGDC).

On Saturday, August 13, 2016, the group will discuss Lincoln’s 1860 Election including his road to the Republican presidential nomination and his victory in the November election. Parallels to this year’s party nominations and the impending campaign will be explored by experienced LGDC Open Discussion leaders John O’Brien, chair of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church History Committee, and LGDC president John T. Elliff.

More information is available on the Lincoln Group website.

NY Avenue Church window

The event is being held at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC (“Lincoln’s Church), which features a beautiful stained glass window highlighting Abraham Lincoln. There is also a Lincoln Parlor containing artifacts and a John Quincy Adams room. Tours of these historic areas follow the program.

I am happy to say that I was recently elected Vice President of Programs for LGDC. We already have an excellent line-up of speakers for our fall program 2016 and are working on filling slots for 2017. Anyone with ideas for speakers can contact me any time.

Please put Saturday, August 13th on your calendar and join us for this entertaining and informative event. Check out the LGDC website for more about our group.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in July 2016.

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.

In 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]

Cap 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.

“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.