Paul Finkelman talked about the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. He talked about the position that Lincoln continues to have in the national consciousness, his role in the creation of the Emancipation Proclamation, the implications of the Proclamation in American history, and his life long opposition to the institution of slavery.

The United States Capitol Historical Society’s 2009 Annual Symposium, “Lincoln’s Washington: Abraham Lincoln in Congress and the Presidency,” was held in the Russell Senate Office Building.