David J. Kent's Blog, page 11

Barcelona: Catalonia, Not Spain? Plus, Photos of Park Guell

As mentioned in the last post, my trip around the Iberian Peninsula ended in Barcelona, the largest city the Catalonia region and the second largest city in all of Spain. But is it actually in Spain? Well, it’s complicated. Spain is a nation, but it’s also a collection of autonomous... Continue reading

Cruising Lisbon to Barcelona, and Everywhere in Between

A few days ago, I returned from a two-and-a-half-week Windstar cruise-plus trip around the Mediterranean. We started in Lisbon and ended in Barcelona, but made several stops along the way, including Lisbon, Gibraltar, and Morocco. Here are the places we stopped. It was an amazing experience. This is our fourth... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln Goes to West Point (Plus, The Lincoln Legacy Award)

Abraham Lincoln made a secret trip to West Point in 1862. My recent trip to West Point was not so secret, and I also picked up and award in Lincoln’s legacy. I have the Lincoln Society of Peekskill to thank for both. General Winfield Scott had been a hero of... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln Goes to Harvard and Yale

Abraham Lincoln famously had less than one year of formal schooling, but you can find him now at both Harvard and Yale. Needless to say, you can find him at every university in Illinois and colleges in other states. During his senate campaign against Stephen A. Douglas in 1858, the... Continue reading

Road Tripping Lincoln in New England

Abraham Lincoln made two trips to New England in his lifetime, and I will soon embark on a road trip of my own to follow in his footsteps. This isn’t my first such trip. Pre-COVID I made several road trips – long solo drives tracing Lincoln’s roots through Kentucky, Indiana,... Continue reading

Big Week for The Fire of Genius at ALI and More

I’m still catching up from a big week for The Fire of Genius. By all standards it was hugely successful, and there was even a little bit of intrigue. Let’s start with the ALI Symposium. I was privileged to be one of the five speakers asked to present at the... Continue reading

Fire of Genius in Barnes and Noble

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius was released about six months ago and can still be found in Barnes and Noble stores nationwide. I recently met with a fellow Lincoln Group member at a lovely restaurant in a mall a bit further from my home, which gave me the opportunity to... Continue reading

The Fire of Genius at the Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium

In less than two weeks I’ll be joining Jon Meacham and three other Lincoln scholars on the stage at Ford’s Theatre for the Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium. Ford’s Theatre is both a working theater and a national historic site. The box where Lincoln was assassinated is maintained in the condition... Continue reading

Lincoln Charters the National Academy of Sciences, 1863

Lincoln sat at his desk in the Executive Mansion on March 3, 1863, and put his signature to the charter creating the National Academy of Sciences, one of many steps Lincoln took to institutionalize science and technology advancement in the federal government. The year 2023 marks the 160th anniversary of... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln and the Beardstown and Sangamon Canal

While February 27 is most famous for Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 Cooper Union address, it also is the date on which in 1836 Lincoln bought shares in the stock of the Beardstown and Sangamon Canal. Already the Whig leader in the Illinois state legislator at 27 years old, Lincoln promoted the... Continue reading