Lincoln’s Life, Times and Legacy

Curriculum:

This lesson can be used to consider the early social and political history of the State of Illinois, with particular focus on the figure of Abraham Lincoln and his profound connections to and enduring influence on Springfield, Illinois.  

The Life of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is known for the momentous actions he took as sixteenth president of the United States during the American Civil War. His “emancipation proclamation” in 1862 altered the course of the bloody war and civil rights in this country.

Although Lincoln was largely self-educated he developed a career in law that propelled him to local, state, and national prominence during the most divisive of times. Much of his early life and career was spent in the state of Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky. Lincoln grew up with his family in rural Kentucky between 1809 and 1816. The family moved to Spencer County Indiana in 1816 as a result of disputed land titles to the Kentucky farm. It was there that Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks, died of illness in 1818, when Lincoln was just 9 years old. A year later his father remarried (to Sarah Bush). Father and son and the new stepmother and her three children moved into a log cabin home. The National Park Service maintains the property as the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Indiana.

In 1830, Lincoln’s family moved to Illinois, building a homestead about 10 miles west of Decatur along the Sangamon river. Lincoln soon traveled down the Mississippi River on a cargo flat boat to New Orleans where he also witnessed the evils of slavery.

Then he settled in New Salem (1831-1837), just northwest of Springfield, Illinois. He spent several years boarding with various families there and taking on odd jobs while also teaching himself diverse skills like surveying, grammar, and eventually law.

After a brief stint in the state militia, Lincoln dedicated himself to the study of law. He was elected to the state legislature for the first time in 1834 and spent time in Vandalia, Illinois, the state capital. He helped in the shift of the state capital to Springfield and began his legal career there in 1837. Lincoln served four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives for Sangamon County between 1834-1842 as part of the Whig party.

Lincoln married Mary Todd in November 1842 and they raised their family in Springfield, Illinois. Their four sons, Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas were all born in Springfield, Illinois between 1843 and 1853.

After very brief stays at two properties that no longer exist, the Lincolns purchased a house at Eighth and Jackson Streets where three of the four sons were born. 

Lincoln began his law practice with William Herndon in 1844. For over 16 years he appeared in county courts handling a variety of legal cases, many of which were transportation related. In the midst of Western expansion across the Mississippi River he represented various interests in land claims, river traffic and railroad cases. He advocated for some of these issues as a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1847-1849. By 1856 Lincoln helped to organize the new Republican party of Illinois and gained national attention as a politician. Soon after, in 1858, Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas in the now famous “Lincoln-Douglas Debates” in a contest for election as U.S. Senator. The debates highlighted stark differences in approach to the issue of slavery at a national level, particularly for new territories during westward expansion. While Douglas ultimately won the Senate seat, Lincoln became the Republican nominee for president in 1860 and was elected president on November 6, 1860.

 Having won the presidential election, Lincoln boarded a special inaugural train at the Great Western Railroad Station on February 11, 1861. There he delivered his “farewell address” to neighbors and friends, saying in part,

“My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when, or whether ever, I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of the Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

In fact, Lincoln did not return to the state again until his death and burial there in 1865.

Lincoln governed the nation through the most divided time in its history. The most momentous actions taken by President Lincoln occurred as he navigated the bloody Civil War. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 declaring the freedom of slaves in 10 states not then under Union control, with some exemptions. Though the precise moral ground and reasoning by which Lincoln opposed slavery is debated today, including his own statements denying absolute equality of all peoples, Lincoln pushed for the abolition of slaves.

Lincoln was elected to a second term in office. He was inaugurated on March 4, 1865. A month later, on April 9, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate forces, ending the Civil War. Tragically, just 5 days later, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while attending a performance at Ford’s Theatre.

Lincoln’s body lay in state in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. between April 19-21, before being conveyed over three weeks in a funeral train that traveled between Washington D.C. and Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln is buried in Lincoln Tomb Historic Site at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. 

Lincoln National Heritage Area

The profound connections between Abraham Lincoln and the state of Illinois are preserved and celebrated throughout the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The ALNHA was designated by Congress and signed into law on May 10, 2008 and is the only national heritage area named for a president. The “Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition” is the coordinating entity. It is a consortium of sites and communities across central Illinois, in addition to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (now under the Illinois Department of Natural Resources), Illinois Office of Tourism, Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and the National Park Service.

Over his time in Illinois, Lincoln shaped the communities and landscapes of Illinois, leaving traces in stories, folklore, artifacts, buildings, and rural and urban landscapes, which all contribute to the ongoing legacy that makes this heritage area the “Land of Lincoln.” Many sites are open to visitors to participate in this shared heritage. Lincoln is being used to build prosperity by celebrating heritage-based initiatives that give historical context to contemporary life.

 Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Abraham and Mary Lincoln bought their Springfield home in 1844 for $1,200 and lived there for 17 years. The house was originally a 1 ½ story structure (with a basement) constructed in Greek Revival architecture. Over the years the Lincolns made several changes to the house, including an addition that raised the house to a full 2 stories.

The Lincoln Home National Historic Site was officially established in 1971 after it was donated by Lincoln’s oldest son, Robert, in 1887. As a NPS unit, the home preserves the memory of neighborhood life as Lincoln would have lived it during his campaign, prior to becoming the 16^th president of the United States.

The house lot and parts of surrounding city blocks have been excavated by archaeologists. These investigations have amassed a large collection of historic artifacts that help to tell the material story of life in Springfield during the mid-late 1800s. The archaeological excavations recovered evidence of the lavish parties in addition to the more quotidian aspects of the Lincoln’s lives. Indeed, letters from the time indicate that the house was used on many occasions for parties with rich dinner and dessert spreads for dozens and sometimes hundreds of guests. Archaeologists have found buttons and beads, British whiteware platters and teacups, glass stemware, and other serving wares. They have also found animal bones from cattle, sheep or goat, turkey, chicken, wild game like goose and fish, and pig feet were especially common. Researchers have found that the amount of wild game remains at the Lincoln home are significantly higher than in neighboring lots and other contemporary sites, suggesting that perhaps Lincoln maintained an affinity for the types of foods he would have eaten growing up. Other artifacts found at the home include a chess pawn, doll parts, a comb, toothbrushes, keys, and medicine bottles. Overall, the remains from the Lincoln home site reflect a comfortable, yet not overly-ostentatious lifestyle.

Lincoln-Herndon Law Office

The building at Sixth and Adams streets that housed the Lincoln-Herndon law office was built in 1840-41 as a brick Greek Revival structure for commercial purposes. Lincoln moved into the structure in 1843 with his law partner and cousin of his wife, Stephen T. Logan. The offices were rented on the third floor in what was a prime space across from the new statehouse and above the space used as district courtroom. In 1844 the Lincoln-Logan partnership was dissolved and William H. Herndon was added as junior partner to the firm. In their time there they prepared cases for federal courts, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the Illinois Eighth Judicial Circuit. In 1978 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Central Springfield Historic District.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

In 1889 the Illinois General Assembly established what was called the Illinois State Historical Library with the aim of creating a repository for materials relating to the state’s political, social and religious history. In 2005 the library was renamed the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library to reflect its role, alongside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, in recounting the illustrious story of Lincoln’s life and accomplishments. The collections include various Lincoln materials, an original copy of the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln family letters, and materials related to Lincoln’s assassination. The ALPLM is a historic site of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Lincoln Depot

The depot was opened in 1852 in Springfield, Illinois by the Great Western Railroad. The building contained office space as well as waiting areas for male and female passengers. On February 11, 1861 the depot gained lasting fame as the staging ground for then president-elect Abraham Lincoln’s farewell to Illinois as he began his journey to the White House.

Over time the building was re-tasked for various rail operations and storage uses. In the 1960s a local group purchased the property with the intention of restoring it as a historic site. After various projects, fire, different owners, and uses, it was reopened in 2013 as a museum and in 2014 the depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

 Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site

This site is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary Lincoln, and three of their four sons. The day after Lincoln’s assassination a group of Springfield citizens spearheaded the mission to raise funds for the memorial and tomb upon learning that he would be interred in Illinois. The site includes the public receiving vault where the final funeral rites were held for Lincoln upon the arrival of his remains on May 4, 1865. Upon her death in 1882, Mary Lincoln’s remains were placed with her husband’s. But the final disposition of Abraham Lincoln in the memorial happened in 1901, when his remains were buried in a vault ten feet below the marble floor of the burial chamber near the remains of his wife and three of his sons.

The tomb is in a 12.5 acre plot at Oak Ridge cemetery and was constructed between 1868-1874 of brick sheathed with Quincy granite and presents four bronze sculpture groups, representing the four Civil War military services – infantry, artillery, cavalry, and navy.. The Lincoln Tomb was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

 Lesson Objectives:

• To understand the life and connections of Abraham Lincoln to the state of Illinois.
• To analyze the historical role of Abraham Lincoln to early Illinois, especially the city of Springfield, Illinois.
• To evaluate how important historical figures are remembered, including the mythologizing of truly complicated figures into more formalized heroes.

What students will do:

• Students will review life of Abraham Lincoln and his profound connections to the State of Illinois.

• Students will consider how Lincoln has made an impact on communities across Illinois and how communities across Illinois have memorialized Lincoln as part of the collective heritage of Illinois residents.

• Students will reflect on the role of historic and heritage preservation and celebration to shape the public perception of history and our collective heritage.

Anticipatory reflection questions:

• What do you know about the figure of Abraham Lincoln, both as president and as an important figure in Illinois history?

• Think about places you have visited across the state of Illinois. How would you describe the ways in which Lincoln is celebrated in Illinois?

• Why do you think some say that the Lincoln we know is a mythologized Lincoln rather than the real Lincoln?

Lecture: See PPT (https://uofi.box.com/s/ybuu7b77j69a5utkksx54syl6quki5m6)

In-Class or Independent Exercise: Chipping Away at the Marble and Granite

Watch the film, “Looking for Lincoln,” by Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/lookingforlincoln/featured/watch-looking-for-lincoln/290/). This film traces aspects of Lincoln’s life that are often not included in prevailing narratives of Lincoln’s life. This film should prompt reflection on what it means to mythologize illustrious figures in history and the potential effects of doing so. Students should discuss the following questions based on this film:

(1) What does it mean to celebrate the mythic Lincoln versus the real Lincoln? What are some ways that narratives in the United States celebrate this mythic figure while ignoring the real life and complicated politics of Lincoln? How is he portrayed in earlier films, for example?

(2) Do you think that including some of the lesser known, often tragic parts of his life in national narratives could be beneficial for the public understanding of Lincoln? Or perhaps detrimental? How so?

(3) How do you think archaeological investigations, in tandem with archival research, can help to get a more detailed picture of the lives of figures like Lincoln?

(4) Do you think this is common for other illustrious figures in American history? How would you portray Lincoln if you were to build a Lincoln heritage program? What would your goals be in conveying information to the public?