This month the Journal of American History published a special issue on Abraham Lincoln where I contributed an essay which claimed that the future of Lincoln studies lies mainly in digital work –both in new, ambitious research projects and also in innovative forms of web-based presentation.  Okay, so I realize this claim seems more than […]

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“True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students at the University of North Carolina” is an interesting online exhibit from Documenting the American South at UNC-Chapel Hill.  The site breaks down this period (1795-1869) into six chapters and each one has essays on key topics and relevant primary sources. One particularly interesting […]

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The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia, which remains closed as it plans for moving into a new building, has announced that items from their collection will be on display at several institutions in Pennsylvania. Tentative plans call for the museum to partner with the Gettysburg National Park Visitors Center, the National Constitution Center, and the […]

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The Smithsonian recently published “John Brown’s Day of Reckoning,” an interesting article by Fergus Bordewich that discusses Brown’s attack on Harpers Ferry. While the raid took place 150 years ago, Bordewich observes that Brown “remains one of the most emotive touchstones of our racial history.” In addition, both the attack and Brown’s execution in early […]

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Check out Debating Emancipation Online, a new interactive site developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Students assume “the role of Lincoln’s closest advisers” and use primary sources to “learn how they would advise the President on this controversial issue.” Be sure to download the teacher guide for an overview of this online program, […]

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Horatio Nelson Taft’s diary (January 1861-May 1865) is available online from the Library of Congress and provides an interesting look at life in Washington D.C. during the Civil War. While Taft worked at the US Patent office, his children played with “Willie” and “Tad” Lincoln. “Our three boys and the Two Lincoln boys have been […]

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The University of Washington offers a great collection of Civil War letters that provide interesting accounts on a wide range of topics. The collection contains correspondence from both Union and Confederate soldiers, including a description of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender. “It all seems like a dream,” as M. Adelaide Smith explained to his “dear friends” back in […]

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