DIRECTOR’S LETTER
Dear Friends,
Have you ever felt like if you didn’t laugh, you would cry? Lincoln’s love of humor and, in particular, political satire is well documented and conveys much about his personality and how he coped with the intense disagreement and discord that enveloped our country then. While many of Lincoln’s jokes don’t stand up to the test of time, his ability to poke fun at himself does. In the midst of this heated election season and the intense discord that is enveloping our country today, we are pleased to launch two efforts that provide historical perspective and some comic relief. First, we’re delighted to announce “Running for Re-Election” our first effort with Google Cultural Institute and part of their newly launched election series. Second, we’re delighted to announce our “Two Faces Comedy Series” (A+ if you get the reference!). This three-part series is a collaboration with our friends over at the DC Improv to bring some humor to heated issues on topics Lincoln himself struggled with while living right here at the Cottage.
With this issue of The Proclamation, we also unveil our switch from a quarterly newsletter to a monthly newsletter format. This is yet another change in our continued efforts to provide you with information that’s more current and easier to access. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for your support,
HELP PRESERVE LINCOLN’S BRAVE IDEAS
On June 27, we launched a crowdfunding campaign to replace the current carpeting in the Cottage. Inspired by President Lincoln’s opposition to slavery, the new carpeting will be made FREE of any enslaved labor and certified as such by GoodWeave.
DONATE and LEARN MORE about this campaign to preserve the Cottage and Lincoln’s brave ideas.
RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION
In partnership with Google Cultural Institute, President Lincoln’s Cottage released the online exhibit, “Running for Re-Election” on July 13. The exhibit focuses on Lincoln’s 1864 presidential campaign vs. George McClellan as well as the many issues at play during that campaign including war weariness, emancipation, and the Republicans’ intra-party conflict.
STUDENTS OPPOSING SLAVERY
SOS INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT: From June 20 to 24, we hosted the Students Opposing Slavery International Summit. The Summit brought together students from across the United States as well as Botswana, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, Peru, and South Korea. We look forward to seeing what these young men and women accomplish going forward in the modern anti-slavery movement. View photos of the Summit and the participants in action.
HARRIET TUBMAN T-SHIRTS: Show your support for the historical and modern-day efforts against slavery by purchasing a HeroHeads t-shirt of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Proceeds from sales of the Tubman shirt go towards Students Opposing Slavery.
Buy a Tubman shirt today through our ONLINE STORE!
TWO FACES COMEDY SERIES
Join us and the DC Improv for a series of comedy shows at the Cottage! To buy tickets and find our more about the comedians, CLICK HERE.
SHOW DATES
Wednesday, August 17
Wednesday, September 7
Tuesday, October 18
FAMILY DAY and FREEDOM 5K
Our annual Family Day and Freedom 5K events are coming up in September. Click the links below to find out more information!
September 10 – FAMILY DAY
September 24 – FREEDOM 5K
Stay up-to-date on our latest programs by visiting our Public Programs page.
CAST IRON STAIR PRESERVATION
Our Senior Preservationist Jeff Larry is in the midst of preservation work on the cast iron stairs on the Cottage’s veranda.
Read Jeff’s explanation of the current work as well as a brief history of the staircase.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: ZACH ON JEOPARDY!
Executive Assistant Zach Klitzman appeared on Jeopardy earlier this month! Find out how Zach did and see what shenanigans we engaged in celebrating our co-worker’s appearance on the classic game show.
NEWS and UPDATES
- AASLH Leadership in History Award: President Lincoln’s Cottage won the 2016 American Association for State and Local History’s Leadership in History Award for our Students Opposing Slavery initiative.
- Only in Your State: The Cottage made Only in Your State‘s list of 15 hidden gems in Washington, DC.
- Discovery Family Channel: On July 10, the Cottage was featured in the Discovery Family Channel’s series, Secrets of America’s Favorite Places. The episode is available for purchase from Discovery’s YouTube Channel.
- American History TV: C-SPAN’s American History TV broadcast our CEO Erin Mast’s conversation with Dr. Gary Zola on Zola’s book We Called Him Rabbi Abraham. Learn more about the program and watch it online.
SUPPORT PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE
Support our educational programs, preservation efforts and public events by making a contribution to President Lincoln’s Cottage. Donate online today.
Categories:Newsletter
