2019 US History Teacher Seminar Explores How Abraham Lincoln’s Words Transformed a Nation

 

[February 05, 2019] 

This summer, educators will spend a week in Springfield, Illinois exploring Lincoln’s life and writings in a Teacher Seminar created by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Teacher Seminar called “Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation.”

Led by renowned Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois, participants will consider the origins of Lincoln’s political thought, the forces that shaped his personality and character, and his relevance for the twenty-first century.

The seminar was organized in partnership with, and will be held at, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where original artifacts and modern interactive exhibits trace Lincoln’s life from backwoods Kentucky to the White House.

Located in Springfield, Illinois, the town in which Lincoln lived and practiced law for twenty years, participants will visit the places that helped mold Lincoln from a young lawyer to a leading statesman, including the New Salem historic village, his law office, the Old Illinois State Capitol, the first and only home Lincoln ever owned, and his final resting place.

“Last year’s Gilder Lehrman seminar here was a huge success. We were proud to help teachers connect with Abraham Lincoln and discover new ways to share his story with their students,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “We can’t wait to meet this new group of teachers and help them learn more about President Lincoln’s life and legacy.”

This seminar is one of 31 held in summer 2019 by the Gilder Lehrman Institute, offering more than 1,000 K-12 teachers, library educators, and National Park Service interpreters the chance to study American history with leading historians at top institutions in the United States and United Kingdom.

Seminar participants work with primary source documents, enrich their knowledge with tours of local historic sites, and receive reading materials, room and board, and a travel stipend. Since the program’s inception, more than 15,000 educators have participated in Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminars.
 

More information about this seminar and a complete list of 2019 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminars is available at www.gilderlehrman.org/seminars.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges. Learn more at gilderlehrman.org.

About the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology. It also serves as the Illinois historical library. The library maintains an unparalleled collection of Lincoln documents, photographs, artifacts and art. It also has some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history, making the library one of the nation’s leading institutions for genealogy and history research. Learn more at http://www.illinois.gov/alplm.

[Christopher Wills, Director of Communications]