Lincoln gave his Lyceum Address #OnThisDay in 1838, when he was just 28 years old. It was his first published speech, shared in the Sangamon Journal, which raised his public profile and reputation as a powerful orator.

Last month, hundreds of mourners gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to attend a "funeral" for the penny. While satirical in nature, the demonstration expressed collective grief over the loss of the coin and paid tribute to Lincoln. Read more here:

Register for the annual ALA Birthday Banquet & Symposium! We're pleased to welcome Michael Vorenberg as one of our symposium speakers. Vorenberg is a Professor of History at Brown University, is the author of "Lincoln’s Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War."

Just one month until the Abraham Lincoln 217th Birthday Event: Symposium & Banquet! Join us in Springfield for both the annual banquet on February 12 and the Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium and Thomas F. Schwartz Lunch on February 13.

Register for the annual ALA Birthday Banquet & Symposium! We're pleased to welcome Lucas Morel as one of our symposium speakers. Morel is Professor of Politics and head of the Politics Department at Washington and Lee University.

Register for the annual ALA Birthday Banquet & Symposium! We're pleased to welcome John Bicknell as one of our symposium speakers. Bicknell is an accomplished journalist and author who has written multiple books on Lincoln.

Register for the annual ALA Birthday Banquet & Symposium! We're pleased to welcome Dr. Allen Guelzo as the 2026 Banquet Keynote Speaker.

Join the Board of the Abraham Lincoln Long Nine Museum on February 13, 2026, at an evening reception in celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 217th birthday and in honor of ALA Board Member Guy Fraker for his devoted service to the Museum and to Lincoln’s enduring legacy.

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free."

Happy New Year! We're thankful for our ALA members and community. Wishing you a happy and healthy start to 2026.

On December 22, 1864, General Sherman sent a telegram to Lincoln which read: “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton.”

Please join us on Thursday, February 12, 2026, as the Abraham Lincoln Association celebrates the 217th anniversary of the birth of our 16th president. Our banquet speaker will be Professor Allen Guelzo.

#OnThisDay in 1856, Lincoln addressed the Illinois Republicans at a banquet. This speech solidified his prominence as a leader within the state's Republican party.

#OnThisDay in 1861, Lincoln released his first annual address to Congress in which he remarked heavily on the ongoing civil war.

#OnThisDay in 1860, Lincoln addressed a Wide-Awake parade as they passed through Springfield on the way to remarks delivered by Lyman Trumbull, who sought to retain his senate seat in the 1860 election.

In partnership with the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, we're proud to announce the launch of Lincoln250 - a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Lincoln's reverence for it.

Two days after the election, on the evening of November 10, 1864, a group of serenaders came to the White House to celebrate Lincoln’s victory.

#OnThisDay in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States.

#OnThisDay in 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd. Watch historian Michael Burlingame discuss their turbulent marriage, which he researched for nearly 30 years to write his book "An American Marriage: The Untold Story of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd." www.youtube.com/watch?v=atNM...

Save the date for next year's banquet and symposium on February 12 and 13, 2026 at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield, Illinois. Join us for a day of scholarship and discourse on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

On October 24, 1861, Lincoln received the first transcontinental telegram in the White House.

Tomorrow is the last day to submit dissertations for the 2026 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize! The Abraham Lincoln Association (ALA) and the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI) invite nominations and submissions for the 2026 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize, which includes a $1,000 honorarium.

Lincoln was motivated back into the world of politics by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed for the extension of slavery. On October 16, 1854, in Peoria, Illinois, Lincoln argued in a speech that slavery was incompatible with the Founders’ vision of America.

#OnThisDay in 1862, Lincoln penned a letter to General George McClellan.

In a public letter dated October 10, 1864, Lincoln wrote to Henry W. Hoffman, chairman of the Maryland Unconditional Union Central Committee, to express his clear support for the new Maryland constitution—which included the abolition of slavery—and urged its ratification.

Award-winning author Brad Ricca joined the Lincoln Log podcast to discuss his new book, Lincoln’s Ghost: Houdini’s War on Spiritualism and the Dark Conspiracy Against the American Presidency.

Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died on October 5, 1818, of milk sickness. Lincoln was only 9 years old when his mother passed - an event which would shape his life and outlook well into adulthood.

#OnThisDay in 1862, President Lincoln addressed a crowd from the platform of his train at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad station in Frederick, Maryland. Lincoln visited Frederick after a trip to the Battle of Antietam to meet with General George McClellan.

Today in 1862, Lincoln issued what many believe was his most controversial order - suspending the writ of habeas corpus throughout the US using General Orders No. 141.

Following the Confederate defeat at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which was to take effect on January 1, 1863. In it, Lincoln freed all slaves in Confederate or contested areas of the South, but it did not apply to the entire nation.

One month until the deadline! The Abraham Lincoln Association (ALA) and the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI) invite nominations and submissions for the 2026 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize, which includes a $1,000 honorarium.

Today in 1859, Lincoln addressed a large crowd in Cincinnati, Ohio, as part of his campaign for the presidential nomination. Read more about this historic moment in his campaign from Gary Ecelbarger in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association from 2009. quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/26298...

This week in 1858, Lincoln briefly addressed a crowd in Edwardsville, Illinois, during the senatorial campaign against Stephen A. Douglas.

The Abraham Lincoln Association (ALA) and the Abraham Lincoln Institute (ALI) invite nominations and submissions for the 2026 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize, which includes a $1,000 honorarium.

#OnThisDay in 1863, Lincoln wrote a public letter to James C. Conkling defending his emancipation policies. The letter signified that Lincoln was resolute in the Emancipation Proclamation and would not waver. The letter was read at a mass Union meeting in Springfield, Illinois.

#OnThisDay in 1864, Lincoln addressed the Ohio Hundred Sixty Sixth Regiment.

#OnThisDay in 1858, the first of seven famous debates took place in Ottawa, Illinois, between Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen A. Douglas during their Illinois Senate race.

There are at least 130 known photographs of Abraham Lincoln. For #WorldPhotographyDay, view a collection of them in this book digitized by the University of Illinois. Do you have a favorite photo? Drop it in the comments! libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/OCA/Books201...

Explore the history of Nancy Hanks Lincoln with historian Joshua Claybourn on this episode of the Lincoln Log Podcast. Learn about the immense impact of Lincoln's mother, her life in Indiana, and her enduring influence on American history. Watch the episode:

Today is #InternationalCatDay! Did you know that Abraham Lincoln is believed to have been the first president to have cats as pets in the White House? Secretary Seward gifted Lincoln two cats when he arrived in Washington.

Congress passed the First Confiscation Act, which invalidated the claims of slave owners to escaped slaves who had been used on behalf of the Confederacy. Lincoln signed it into law on this day in 1861, paving the way for future emancipation policies throughout his presidency.

#OnThisDay in 1862, Abraham Lincoln presented the draft Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet. While he sought their feedback on the timing of the proclamation, he remained steadfast in its substance and tone.

Lincoln delivered a speech in Springfield, Illinois #OnThisDay in 1858, where he discussed the upcoming election and his attitudes toward slavery and equality.

#OnThisDay in 1862, Lincoln signed a bill calling for the national award for valor to be known as the Congressional Medal of Honor. This photograph shows Dr. Mary E. Walker, who was the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor for her valor and service during the Civil War

We hosted the Third Annual Abraham Lincoln Association Cantigny Summer Symposium on June 21, 2025, at the scenic Cantigny Park Visitor Center in Wheaton, Illinois. If you couldn't join us in person, you're in luck! Watch the highlights from this summer's symposium: www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1vl...

Each summer, President Lincoln sought refuge from the heat of Washington, D.C, on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home, known today as the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

Following his success in capturing Vicksburg, #OnThisDay in 1863, Lincoln promoted General Grant to Major-General in the regular army, the highest rank then available. Lincoln declared, "Grant is my man, and I am his the rest of the war."

In a special message to Congress on July 4, 1861, Lincoln spoke about the outbreak of the Civil War and defended the decisions he made after the attacks on Fort Sumter.

Artist Charles A. Barry arrived in Springfield, Illinois to draw this portrait of Lincoln #OnThisDay in 1860.

Lincoln penned a letter to Quintin Campbell #OnThisDay reminding him of the power of his conviction as a cadet at West Point.