Category Archives: Lincoln

May 8, 2018

“Making an Antislavery Nation” Winner of Russell P. Strange Memorial Book Award

Posted by Heather Gernenz
in awards, Lincoln, Uncategorized | Comments Off on “Making an Antislavery Nation” Winner of Russell P. Strange Memorial Book Award

We are pleased to announce that Making an Antislavery Nation: Lincoln, Douglas, and the Battle over Freedom by Graham A. Peck has won the Russell P. Strange Memorial Book Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for the book of … Continue reading →

March 19, 2018

From Lincoln to Neoliberal Chicago: Celebrating the Illinois State Bicentennial

Posted by michael
in Chicago, Illinois / regional, Lincoln | Comments Off on From Lincoln to Neoliberal Chicago: Celebrating the Illinois State Bicentennial

Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818. One hundred years later, the University of Illinois Press opened its doors. The Press’s debut book, on Abraham Lincoln, marked the beginning of a remarkable union between the Prairie State and its premier … Continue reading →

February 28, 2018

In search of Lincoln’s hand

Posted by rkcunningham
in biography, Illinois / regional, Lincoln | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on In search of Lincoln’s hand

The Railsplitter always remains newsworthy. Perhaps you remember the recent Lincoln-related crime wave in Kankakee, Illinois, where a thief or thieves took a plaster sculpture of Abraham Lincoln’ hand. Let’s go to local reaction, as reported in the January 3, 2016 … Continue reading →

August 23, 2017

Who Was Jesse W. Weik?

Posted by rkcunningham
in biography, Lincoln | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Who Was Jesse W. Weik?

Seven-year-old Jesse W. Weik was in the crowd when Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train passed through Indianapolis on its way to Springfield. Weik’s father, an immigrant baker and grocer, lifted his son to see the late president’s body. Years later, the … Continue reading →

April 20, 2017

Backlist Bop: The French Connection

Posted by rkcunningham
in american history, art, Lincoln, religion | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Backlist Bop: The French Connection

Today marks the birthday of Daniel Chester French, in his day one of America’s most popular sculptors. The famed often seem to have known the famed, and French was no different. May Alcott, Louisa’s sister, was the person who encouraged … Continue reading →

November 28, 2016

200 Years of Illinois: Henry Bacon, and that’s no baloney

Posted by rkcunningham
in architecture, Lincoln | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 200 Years of Illinois: Henry Bacon, and that’s no baloney

Reverent. Classical. (Well, neoclassical.) Uncontroversial in design, though the subject has a few fringe detractors. The Lincoln Memorial began to take shape in 1915. By then, architects and others had pitched a number of, shall we say, novel ideas about … Continue reading →

September 5, 2016

Release Party: Herndon’s Lincoln

Posted by rkcunningham
in biography, Illinois / regional, Lincoln | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Release Party: Herndon’s Lincoln

New in paperback, Herndon’s Lincoln offers today’s readers the most influential biography of the Railsplitter ever published. William H. Herndon aspired to write a faithful portrait of his friend and law partner, Abraham Lincoln, based on his own observations and on … Continue reading →

April 4, 2016

Q&A with the editors of Women, Work, and Worship in Lincoln’s Country

Posted by sfast
in american history, author commentary, authors, biography, Illinois / regional, letters, Lincoln, women's history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Q&A with the editors of Women, Work, and Worship in Lincoln’s Country

Ann Dumville and her daughters Jemima, Hephzibah, and Elizabeth were not history makers in the way we traditionally think of such figures. None of these women held high political office nor stood firsthand as a participant in a pivotal moment … Continue reading →

February 15, 2016

Lincoln on Jefferson

Posted by rkcunningham
in american history, biography, Lincoln | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Lincoln on Jefferson

Presidents have the unique perspective on other presidents. After all, a president—living or dead, current or former—belongs to a club that remains very small, and intimately knows a job that’s unlike any other. William Henry Herndon, author of the new UIP … Continue reading →

December 31, 2015

Throwbacklist Thursday: New Year’s Eve on the battlefield

Posted by sfast
in american history, backlist classics, Lincoln, military history | Tagged | Comments Off on Throwbacklist Thursday: New Year’s Eve on the battlefield

New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration for most. It’s a time to look forward to better things and a time to reflect on the year that will soon be behind us. When it comes the American Civil War, … Continue reading →