“We are coming, Father Abraham, Three Hundred Thousand More.”  This was the memorable opening line of an 1862 poem (and later popular song) by James Sloan Gibbons that signified the enthusiasm of some in the North for President Lincoln’s decisive…

The following people have contributed a wide range of editorial content to the Lincoln’s Writings site.  You can view their particular contributions by clicking on their names below.  All of these editors have been graduate student participants in Matthew Pinsker’s “Understanding Lincoln,” online course…

Overview The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted by a vast majority of states for their K-12 public schools.  They are designed to promote higher standards in reading and math in order to help American students perform better…

Overview Most states adopted their own History or Social Studies standards or expectations for learning objectives.  The National History Education Clearinghouse maintains a useful and searchable database of these standards.   “Searchable” in this case is quite helpful, because it…

Below is a sample from the most recent syllabus our online graduate course, summarizing the course experience in 2016. HISTORY 579 (via Gilder Lehrman Institute) Understanding Lincoln // Summer 2016 Lead Scholar:  Matthew Pinsker (Dickinson College) Teaching Assistants:  Aaron Bell, Joseph…

Historical Background The U.S. Constitution does not employ the phrase “war powers,” but it does grant Congress the power to “declare war” in Article I, Section 8 and to create the armed forces. Yet the Framers clearly intended to leave…

By Matthew Pinsker We are looking for a few good close readings at the Lincoln’s Writings website and through the Understanding Lincoln online graduate course, but what makes for a successful close reading of a Lincoln document?  The term can mean different…