214th Birthday Banquet and Celebration Deadline: 3 February 2023 The learning and festivities begin on Sunday, 19 February 2023 with the Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium at 10:00 a.m. in Springfield. Coffee and registration at 9:30 a.m. The Annual Birthday Banquet with journalist, historian and political insider Sidney Blumenthal as keynote speaker begins with a reception … Read more
by Carl M. Adams A “Negro girle named Nance” first attracted nationwide attention in 1866, about eighteen months after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Chapter three of Illinois Republican Congressman Isaac Newton Arnold’s book, The History of Abraham Lincoln and the Overthrow of Slavery (1866), is subtitled: “Pleads the Case of the Negro Girl … Read more
A special Watch Night presentation, which commemorates the historic event that took place 159 years ago when the nation awaited President Abraham Lincoln’s signature on the Emancipation Proclamation, will be held Friday, December 31 at 6 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Seventh Street in Springfield. A special organ performance of music composed … Read more
The Wall Street Journal reviewed An American Marriage and included it in their ‘Best Reviews of July’ roundup. ALA president Michael Burlingame discusses his new book as part of the National Archives series.
Abraham Lincoln Association President Michael Burlingame’s most recent book, An American Marriage: The Untold story of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, was published in June by Pegasus Books and continues receiving substantial praise and attention. Here’s a sampling of recent press attention of note: A review in the Illinois Times: “House divided: The marriage of … Read more
Michael Burlingame’s new book, An American Marriage: The Untold Story of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd, is now available. It addresses the troubled character of Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary, and her influence over the 16th president has long divided scholars. You may read recent reviews of the book in The Times, the New York Post, … Read more
The Illinois State Society of Washington, DC and Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia will offer a new panel discussion titled “The Case for Honoring Lincoln.” Join them as they explore the events of Abraham Lincoln’s life and why statues of Abraham Lincoln should be saved. The panel discussion will take place on Tuesday, … Read more
We are pleased to announce details of the 2021 Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium Banquet, which will all take place virtually on February 12, 2021 (Friday) and February 13, 2021 (Saturday). You may access all of the streaming content for free here on this page, on the ALA’s Facebook page, and on the ALA’s YouTube channel. … Read more
ALA President Michael Burlingame addresses the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 in a Newsweek op-ed.
The original cottage where Abraham Lincoln and his family lived before it was expanded into what we now call the Lincoln Home will be reconstructed and opened to visitors under an initiative by The Abraham Lincoln Association. The ALA launched a $400,000 fund drive to acquire land in the 600 block of Eighth Street between … Read more
To observe each anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln; to preserve and make more readily accessible the landmarks associated with his life; and to actively encourage, promote and aid the collection and dissemination of authentic information regarding all phases of his life and career.
