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January 2017 Newsletter
DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, This year marks the 175th anniversary of construction beginning on President Lincoln’s Cottage. The original owner, George Washington Riggs, who sold his estate to the Federal Government in 1851, had no way of knowing what would become of this place — nor the nation — just a decade later. He could never have predicted that this …
Read MoreUnveiled: the Floor Boards Lincoln Walked on
Continuing with the steps towards restoring the Cottage floors, over the holiday break workers refinished the floors in the Library and the Drawing Room. Since the cocoa matting was removed–the preliminary step to replacing it fully with a slavery-free carpet–visitors have been able to walk on the 1880s flooring. The lower layer (with the hand) is the original flooring, dating …
Read MoreA Most Unlikely Friendship: Abraham Lincoln and Matias Romero
by Dr. Jason H. Silverman With the exception of a brief trip to Niagara Falls Abraham Lincoln never left the United States.[i] And yet no one would deny that today he is a global figure. In many ways, Lincoln is larger than life both within and without the United States, including the many countries of Latin America. During his lifetime, …
Read MoreCottage Conversation: The Quartermaster
Join us as author Robert O’Harrow Jr. and Michelle Krowl of the Library of Congress discuss O’Harrow’s book, The Quartermaster: Montgomery C, Meigs, Lincoln’s General, Master Builder of the Union Army. Robert O’Harrow is a reporter with the investigative unit of The Washington Post who has focused on data privacy, cyber security, federal contracting and the financial world. Last year, …
Read MoreCottage Conversation: Midnight in America
On Thursday, April 20th, join us as author Jonathan White and Michael Bishop of the George Washington University’s National Churchill Library, discuss White’s book, Midnight in America: Darkness, Sleep, and Dreams During the Civil War. Dr. Jonathan White is an associate professor of American Studies and a senior fellow with the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University. He is the author …
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: How do you fight modern slavery?
Did you know that January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month? President Lincoln’s Cottage and its youth education program, Students Opposing Slavery, are dedicated to continuing Lincoln’s unfinished work and fight for freedom. President Obama published the Presidential Proclamation late in December, and if you’ve been following our social media accounts, you’ll notice we’ve been joining the discussion …
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