The Filson Institute Public Conference
From Country Lawyer to Commander in Chief:
The Making of Abraham Lincoln
Keynote Address by Michael Burlingame
Thursday, May 14
5:15 p.m. Reception
6 p.m. Lecture
Nationally recognized Lincoln historian and scholar Michael Burlingame will speak on discoveries made in manuscript collections and newspapers during the research process for his two-volume biography of Lincoln, entitled Abraham Lincoln: A Life. This epic biography has been called "the finest Lincoln biography in more than 60 years." Lincoln is said to "come alive as the author unfolds new research while breathing new life into familiar stories" in this "critical, skeptical, loving but never fawning tribute." Burlingame is the May Buckley Sadowski Professor Emeritus of History at Connecticut College. He is also co-chair of the Connecticut Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and serves on the board of directors of both the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Abraham Lincoln Institute. He is the author of An Oral History of Abraham Lincoln: John G. Nicolay's Interviews and Essays and Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay.
"A House Divided, A State Divided" Tour
Friday, May 15 - 9 a.m.
Dr. John Kleber of the University of Louisville and editor of the Louisville and Kentucky encyclopedias, will lead a special tour on May 15 as a part of The Filson's spring conference, "From Country Lawyer to Commander in Chief: The Making of Abraham Lincoln." As a departing point, Dr. Kleber will compare and contrast the humble plain folk origins of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood in the Knobs region to the privileged and aristocratic background of Mary Todd in Lexington. The tour will first visit Lincoln's birthplace at Sinking Spring Farm and then on to Knob Creek Farm, where he spent part of his boyhood. From there we will travel to Bardstown for lunch at the Old Talbott Tavern. After lunch the tour will continue across the bluegrass countryside to Lexington, where we will visit the Mary Todd Lincoln house and historic downtown Lexington, where Dr. Kleber will discuss sites visited by Lincoln, including Cheapside, the railroad station site, Transylvania University and the site of Grandma Parker's home. The final stop visits Lexington Cemetery, the resting place of people significant to the lives of both Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.
Conference Lectures:
Saturday, May 16
9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Lincoln as Emancipator
Burrus M. Carnahan
Professorial Lecturer in Law, The George Washington University
School of Law.
Professor Carnahan will address that while we think of the
Emancipation Proclamation as a unique event, it certainly was not.
Such proclamations were accepted weapons of war in international
conflicts. European countries would offer freedom to their enemies'
slaves from the late 1600s through the early 1800s. Professor
Carnahan will address the fact that although Lincoln issued a
similar decree to that of his European counterparts, his
proclamation was somehow more radical. He will also outline the
obstacles that Lincoln was forced to overcome as an emancipator and
shed light on the history, law and politics within Lincoln's own
Emancipation Proclamation.
Lincoln as Lawyer
Brian Dirck
Professor of history, Anderson University. Dr. Dirck's lecture
will explore the various connections between Lincoln's legal career
and his approach to American politics, wartime policy making and
the way in which Lincoln believed Americans resolve problems in
their communities. Abraham Lincoln spent nearly 25 years as a
member of the Illinois bar, where his career as a lawyer influenced
his life in a variety of ways. The experience Lincoln gained in
this position had a great impact on many aspects of his life,
including his political career and his decision-making skills as
president.
Lincoln as Politician
Daniel W. Stowell
Director and Editor, The Papers of Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Stowell
will reveal how Lincoln, through his political career, used his
oratorical and writing skills to unite political enemies and
reunite the nation. As Abraham Lincoln rose from relative obscurity
to become president during a critical period in the nation's
history, his natural charm won him a loyal following while expert
political maneuvering made him the Republican nominee. Stowell will
detail Lincoln's journey to the White House and explore why the
words he spoke and wrote were critical to his success as a
politician. He will examine those skills as Lincoln applied them to
the political challenges of responding to and shaping public
opinion.
Lincoln as Commander in Chief
Gerald J. Prokopowicz
Associate Professor, East Carolina University. Dr. Prokopowicz
will examine Lincoln's career as commander in chief and the
fluctuating opinions regarding it since his death. Was he a naive
bumbler who unsuccessfully tried to overmanage the professional
soldiers who led his armies? Or was he a master strategist, with an
instinctive command of the timeless principles of war that his West
Point-trained generals failed to match? Why did public perception
of Lincoln's military leadership change? Do his actions during the
Civil War offer lessons for civil-military relations today? These
and other questions will be addressed as Prokopowicz guides us
through Lincoln's presidency - a trying time for both himself and
the country.
Conference Registration Information:
Thursday, May 14
Keynote speech
(Members-free; $5 non-members)
Friday, May 15
"A House Divided, A State Divided" Tour
(Members - $50; $60 non-members)
Saturday, May 16
Day of four lectures - "From Country
Lawyer to Commander in Chief:
The Making of Abraham Lincoln"
(Members - free; $10 non-members)
Optional box lunch - $10
*Please indicate number of lunches needed
Please contact The Filson Historical Society to pay or make reservations
