The great-great-grandson of Frank McWorter and his wife will present a lively account full of images of how New Philadelphia came to be in 1836, how Lincoln entered the story, and what happened next. Frank was the first Black man in the U.S. to plat and register a town.

Townspeople fought for slavery in seven ways and much is known about each one of the seven. The story continues into the 21st century, with local history activists, living descendants, and professional archaeologists unearthing more details about life in 19th century New Philadelphia.

Gerald McWorter (Abdul Alkalimat) is a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. He has researched, taught and lectured about African American history and culture around the world, only to find himself writing about his own family late in life. Kate Williams-McWorter is an associate professor at the University of Illinois who educates future librarians.

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Abraham Lincoln’s story is one of the most remarkable in American history. Born in a frontier cabin, he eventually reached the highest office in the nation. Lincoln’s path was not always straight, but his life presents an inspiring and tragic story of determination and willingness to learn. Join Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Lincoln Historian Christian McWhirter for a discussion of what lessons we can learn from Lincoln’s life.

Dr. Christian McWhirter is the Lincoln Historian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum and author of Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War. His writings on Lincoln, popular music, and the Civil War have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and Civil War Monitor. His most recent publication is a Washington Post article on the Civil War background of two Christmas songs.

This program will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel. The event is FREE. Please do not click on any links that take you to pay page. Our free Facebook events will never ask you for a credit card. If you have trouble finding the event, check the main news feed on the page, and do not click on links in the comments.

Most historians agree that while Abraham Lincoln lost his attempt to win Stephen A. Douglas’s U.S. Senate seat from Illinois in 1858, his effort propelled him to the U.S. presidency in 1860. That would not have happened if Lincoln had acted on an impulse he had during that 1858 contest. Lincoln considered quitting the race.

Reg Ankrom's interest in Abraham Lincoln led him to Stephen A. Douglas. And Reg is now working on the final volume of his three-volume biography of Douglas. Numerous books, journals, magazines, and newspapers have published more than a hundred of Reg’s works in historical literature. He speaks frequently on Douglas and Lincoln and antebellum American history.

This program will livestream on Looking for Lincoln's Facebook page and YouTube Channel. The event is FREE. Please do not click on any links that take you to pay page. Our free Facebook events will never ask you for a credit card. If you have trouble finding the event, check the main news feed on the page, and do not click on links in the comments.