Videos

John Marszalek, editor of an annotated edition of Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs, discussed Grant’s process for writing, his relationship with Abraham Lincoln and why he focused on the Civil War…

Author and former jurist Frank Williams looked at the question facing Union leaders in the post-war era: Should ex-Confederates receive pardons? He discussed President Andrew Johnson’s lenie…

Andrew Delbanco is the author of The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War. He talked about Abraham Lincoln’s thoughts …

Historian Edward Ayers talked about the Battle of Gettysburg and its consequences. He described how people in the surrounding areas might have experienced the battle and the logistics of the…

Authors Charles Calhoun, Jonathan White, and John Marszalek discussed the leadership of Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln.

Scholars talked about people who disliked and opposed Abraham Lincoln during his presidency, including members of his own cabinet. This discussion was part of the annual Lincoln Forum sympos…

Historians talked about what life was like for Freedmen after the Civil War and the overall successes and failures of Reconstruction. They spoke about educational opportunities, land redistr…

Frank Williams talked about politics and culture after President Lincoln’s assassination and the Reconstruction Era that followed. This talk was part of the annual Lincoln Forum Symposiu…

Historian and author William Davis talked about the different upbringings of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee and how their childhoods impacted their later lives. Mr. Davis argues that Gra…

Robert Wilson, author of Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation, talked about Brady’s photography before the Civil War and and how it changed in the following years. He also talked about the di…

Panelists talked about factors that had an impact on President Lincoln’s re-election campaign in 1864. They spoke about President Lincoln’s expansion of presidential war powers and his relat…

Professor William Davis talked about Confederate President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee, and the roles they assumed into and through the Civil War. He responded to questions fro…

Geoffrey Perret talked about President Lincoln as a leader, and compared Lincoln to Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, and John F. Kennedy. Following prepared remarks, he responded to ques…

One hundred and fifty years after the outbreak of the Civil War, a panel of historians debated whether or not the war could have been avoided. They also responded to questions from members o…

On the 150th anniversary of the election of the 16th president, historian Harold Holzer spoke about President-Elect Abraham Lincoln’s strategic silence during what was known as “The Secessio…

A performance commemorated the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s “Right Makes Might” speech on the stage where it was originally delivered on February 27, 1860. In the speech, Lincoln e…

A discussion was held on the expansion of executive power during a time of war. President Lincoln’s successors have raised much more controversy than he did as they have sought to expand pre…

James McPherson spoke about President Abraham Lincoln’s connection to the West and his opposition to the expansion of slavery. He responded to questions from members of the audience. “Lincol…

Richard Carwardine talked about the humor of President Abraham Lincoln. Topics included the political satire of the Civil War era. Then he responded to questions from members of the audience…

Judge Frank Williams, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, talked about the reasons that 70 percent of the soldiers of the Union Army voted for Lincoln in the 1864 election. L…