With Lincoln Productions combines the acting talents of Michael Krebs and Debra Ann Miller to recreate moments in the life of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.  The group has performed for the History Channel, news casts, schools, and special events; however, its most popular reenactment remains the “Lincoln Douglas Debates from 1858,” a series sponsored by C-Span.  Located on the With Lincoln Productions’ page is a section highlighting the Galesburg Debate reenactment with several short clips from the three hour event.  Although filmed in 1994, the video represents the most realistic interpretation of Lincoln as he would have appeared in 1858.  Also, the debate itself offers thorough orations from both Lincoln and Douglas as this reenactment follows the three hour format established by the two politicians.  As an added bonus, the site houses a link to the C-Span video library where you can watch a full version of the debate on flash (you may need to update your flash player), or you may simply purchase the DVD.  This is another great site for those of us looking to learn more about the debates.

Interested in all things Lincoln?  The city of Ottawa, Illinois’ webpage houses a pdf entitled The OttawaLincoln Knew.  This file pulls most of its information from Aletia Tisler’s book, “Lincoln was Here,” using only facts and anecdotes pertinent to the town of Ottawa.  Although the section focuses mainly upon the Lincoln-Douglas debate that took place there in 1858, it also showcases Lincoln’s first meeting with Douglas in the courtroom.  At the bottom of the file, the site includes a map of modern day Illinois with location markers that specify places made famous by Lincoln’s presence.  This site would be especially helpful for someone trying to create a unique family vacation seeped in history.

House Divided is a great place to learn more about the Lincoln Douglas Debates.  Through the Lincoln Douglas Major Topic Page, you can search by different events, such as by individual debates.  One such debate was the fourth, held in Charleston, Illinois. By searching through the Fourth Debate’s event page, one can find modern scholarship by prolific writer David Herbert Donald; people, places, and documents involved.  Also included is a word cloud generated by Wordle displaying the top fifty words spoken during the debate, offering a new perspective on an old debate.  House Divided offers ample important information on these nation defining debates.

In 1858, many important ideas were spread through letters.  Thus, during the Lincoln Douglas Debates, Lincoln and Douglas corresponded with many contemporaries concerning the senatorial race.  These letters provide an excellent window into the minds of these great men.  One such letter, sent August 25, 1858, was a letter written to Lincoln by Schuyler Colfax advising Lincoln on such matters as the Dred Scott Decision and the spread of slavery.  This is just one letter of many found on the documents section of the Lincoln Douglas major topic page.  House Divided has a dearth of information concerning the Lincoln Douglas Debates.

The Northern University of Illinois page, The Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858, offers wide-ranging coverage of the historic oratory campaign. The site houses numerous primary documents including debate transcripts, maps, and contemporary press coverage. Also, The Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858 provides a video podcast on the debates by Columbia’s Eric Foner as well as lessons plans for teachers that include brief descriptions of the debate topics and guided reading assignments for students. This site would be a great addition to any history teacher’s repertoire of resources.

If you are interested in the Dred Scott Case of 1857, a great place to start your research is House Divided’s Major Topic Page on the Dred Scott Case.  There you can find excerts of modern scholarship concerning the infamous case.  Also by searching through the tabs, you can find information reguarding the people involved with the case, a timeline of events, primary source documents involved in the case, including transcriptions, and sources where you can learn even more about this ex-slave who was suing for his freedom.  The verdict of the Dred Scott Case, as handed down by Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, was an instrumental case that led the nation deeper into turmoil, closer to the stirring civil war.

The House Divided currently offers an intriguing exhibit on Henry “Box” Brown and his incredible journey to freedom. The exhibit compliles images depicting his trek, a map of his path, and a three-dimensional Sketch Up of the box in which he traveled. Also, a brief yet informative descritption accompanies each image, bringing the story to life. This section is perfect for those interested in obtaining insight into the dangers involved in a slave’s struggle for freedom. The exhibit also helps transplant viewers into the plight of slaves through displaying the awful conditions that Brown was willing to endure in order to escape bondage. Additionally, if you enjoy this exhbit you should be sure to check out our Henry “Box” Brown Google Earth Tour.

Of the many differences between America today and America during the House Divided era is the relationships between politicians and persons of a more controversial quality. 150 years ago, politicians associated and communicated with persons whose national stature would make such contact disastrious today. For example is a letter written by the infamous John Brown to Massachusetts Congressman Eli Thayer. In the letter, Brown asks Thayer, a Republican and adamant free-soiler, “to have Mr. ALLEN & Co. send me by express one or two navy-sized revolvers as soon as may be.” Putting aside the fact that Brown speaks of shipping weapons very casualy, it is both interesting and astonishing that a U.S. Congressman was so openly conspiraring with a notorious figure like Brown. It is not something likely to happen today.

While researching the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, I uncovered a video on YouTube that would great for teaching younger audiences about the debates.  “The Lincoln Douglas Debates” condenses an overview of the 1858 debates into a simple format designed to keep children engaged. The video’s runtime reaches only two minutes, fourteen seconds and uses both voice-over acting and background music to catch and maintain the audience’s attention.  I recommend this site for anyone who wishes to gain a basic background of the debates through a simplistic and entertaining format.

The National Park Service is looking to expand upon its Underground Railroad stops in its National Register of National Historic Places.  By visiting , “Aboard the Underground Railroad: A National Register Travel Itinerary” you can help the NPS. At the website, one can explore stops on the Underground Railroad, both in the North and South, and even a few stops in the territories. The site is also useful in offering a “Learn More” page, , where additional sources regarding the Underground Railroad can be found, including web resources.

With your help, by applying to the National Register of Historic Places to add your historic Underground Railroad site, this website and tool can only grow and become more useful.