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.

Join us to watch the 1875 Emancipation Celebration: A Grand Old-Style Barbeque in Atlanta, Illinois a new mini-documentary about this event that celebrated the 12th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Sam Wheeler and Heather Feezor will discuss this event in context with other similar events that celebrated and or commemorated the Emancipation Proclamation. They will also share a little history on the creation of the documentary.

Samuel Wheeler is the Director of History Programs for the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission. Heather Feezor is the Program Manager for Looking for Lincoln and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area.

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.

The Lincolns were a typical Springfield family in the way they celebrated Christmas...or were they??? They didn't have a Christmas Tree (that we know of) and Mr. Lincoln sometimes worked on December 25th. But they also "hung stockings by the chimney with care," ate lots of goodies, and attended parties with their friends and family. Join Lincoln Home National Historic Site Curator Susan Haake for a discussion on how the Lincolns and their neighbors enjoyed the Holidays!

Susan Haake has worked at Lincoln Home National Historic Site since 1991, serving as Curator for 23 years. She is a native of Illinois, having grown up in the Southern Illinois town of Murphysboro, near Carbondale. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State with a BS in Historic Preservation, and received an MA in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University. She has published articles on housekeeping in historic houses, and is the author of the weekly "Museum Monday" posts on the park's Facebook page. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, reading, and chocolate!

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.