Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To Book "Abraham Lincoln—The Writer: A Treasury of His Greatest Speeches and Letters"

Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life Homepage

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:23:58 GMT

This online exhibition commemorates the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The website covers each major period of Lincoln's private and public life, especially his years in Washington when he made the crucial decisions that ended slavery and preserved the nation. Also included are the artifacts of Lincoln's assassination-his top hat, the prison hoods of the conspirators, and other sobering reminders of this tragic story.

Exploring the Gettysburg Address

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:11:24 GMT

This resource for teachers includes tips for how to use the interactive document tool in the online exhibition The Gettysburg Address, suggested discussion questions based on the speech, and other recommended resources related to the Gettysburg Address. Students will closely examine a copy of the Gettysburg Address written in Lincoln's hand and will be encouraged to think critically about the meanings and context of one of America's most famous speeches.

Lincoln at 200

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:46:58 GMT

This website, produced by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Chicago History Museum, is part of the bicentennial celebration of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The site features 2 exhibitions about Lincoln and searchable database of objects. A Museums and the Web Best of the Web Award nominee, this site is an outstanding place for students to view background and primary source resources regarding Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln's Top Hat

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:27:14 GMT

At six feet four inches tall, Lincoln towered over most of his contemporaries. He chose to stand out even more by wearing high top hats. He acquired this hat from J. Y. Davis, a Washington hat maker. Lincoln had the black silk mourning band added in remembrance of his son Willie. No one knows when he obtained the hat, or how often he wore it. The last time he put it on was to go to Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865.

After Lincoln’s assassination, the War Department preserved his hat and other material left at Ford’s Theatre. With permission from Mary Lincoln, the department gave the hat to the Patent Office, which, in 1867, transferred it to the Smithsonian Institution. Joseph Henry, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, ordered his staff not to exhibit the hat “under any circumstance, and not to mention the matter to any one, on account of there being so much excitement at the time.” It was immediately placed in a basement storage room.

The American public did not see the hat again until 1893, when the Smithsonian lent it to an exhibition hosted by the Lincoln Memorial Association. Today it is one of the Institution’s most treasured objects.

Transfer from the War Department with permission from Mary Lincoln, 1867

Use this Investigation Sheet to guide students through describing the object and analyzing its meaning.