The Abraham Lincoln Center
for Leadership and Public Policy

The first known photograph of Abraham Lincoln taken by Nicholas H. Shepherd in 1846. 188 years today, 28-year-old state legislator and lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, delivered his first significant speech to the Young Men's Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln's Lyceum Address was titled, "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions." The young Whig added his voice to a swelling chorus of Americans denouncing mob violence in the nation. The principal cause of this violence w

Today, we honor and remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. This federal holiday, signed into law in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan, is dedicated to promoting equality, justice, and service, reflecting King's legacy and his noteworthy contributions to the civil rights movement and his advocacy for racial equality. The Lincoln Center would like to share a wonderful, short essay, "A March in Washington in 1963 to Cash a Check Written During the Civil War," writ

One of five new 2026 SemiQ Coins will feature Abraham Lincoln. (U.S. Mint) To celebrate America's Semiquincentennial in 2026, the United States Mint is updating well-known American coinage, such as the circulating nickel, dime, and quarter. Five (5) different unique obverse and reverse designs were created for this one-year quarter series to celebrate American heritage and history. These include coins featuring significant documents and events in American History, such as th

The Lincoln's Center Executive Director, Dr. William E. Hardy, recently spoke on Abraham Lincoln's role in establishing America's Thanksgiving Holiday tradition to an enthusiastic crowd at Blount Mansion in Knoxville, Tennessee as part of the Blount Mansion Association's centennial celebration. Dr. Hardy's talk, entitled, "Lincoln's Other Proclamation: The Origins of America's Thanksgiving Holiday Tradition" traced the roots of Thanksgiving in the United States to its "tradit

Philadelphia Inquirer , November 20, 1863 What was the weather like when President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famed Gettysburg Address 162 years ago today? According to the November 20, 1863 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer , the weather was pleasant during the events surrounding the dedication of a national cemetery for the fallen Union soldiers at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863. #GettysburgAddress

162 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a masterpiece of American rhetoric in his Gettysburg Address, which served as a pivotal reinterpretation of the nation's founding principles, shifting the focus from a collection of states to a unified nation dedicated to equality. From Ford's Theatre National Historic Site Eight score and two years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln stepped onto a stage to speak at Gettysburg National Military Park  . Two minutes lat