Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

[samgrant]

Like it or not, the year 2009 marks Lincoln's 200th birthday, so for some folks this is a big deal, there is a congressionally mandated "Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial:

http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/index.php

Expect lots of hastily published books of questionable authority and likely devoid of any new insight.

Don't you love those 'president's days' mattress sales?

[ole]

Totally cool, dude.
Ole

[william42]

Thanks for the heads up on that Sam.


Terry

[matthew mckeon]

Over on Kevin Levin's blog, "Civil War Memory" he has several posts on efforts to remember the war, both in the past and today. Its worth a look.

Virginia, for example, is doing its best to prevent any Lincoln bicennential observation in that state, and there is a debate on how to remember the Confederacy and the rest of Virginia's long history.

One legislator, in arguing against any official recognition of Lincoln, described him as "enemy" of Virginia. Levin makes the point that when Lincoln visited Richlmond at the end of the war, he was welcomed by its black residents, who obviously didn't consider him their enemy.