David J. Kent's Blog, page 29
December 6, 2019
Abraham Lincoln and the Supreme Court
Abraham Lincoln may have been a “merely country lawyer,” as some of his critics avowed, but he had many far-reaching interactions with the U.S. Supreme Court that changed the face of jurisprudence. I’m reminded of this today because on December … Continue reading
December 3, 2019
GivingTuesday Fundraiser for the Lincoln Group of DC
The Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia is an incredibly active group supporting the study and dissemination of information on the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Regularly chosen as the most admired and best President in … Continue reading
November 25, 2019
How to Land in St. Maarten
Since I’m supposed to be flying to St. Maarten today, this is a good time to show how to land there. It’s quite an experience. Princess Julianna International Airport serves the Caribbean island officially split between the Dutch side (Sint … Continue reading
November 20, 2019
The Exhaustingly Exhilarating Lincoln Forum
I have just returned from the annual Abraham Lincoln Forum in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The 3-day conference of constant meetings, presentations, and hallway socializing is somehow both exhausting and exhilarating. I came away with a great deal more knowledge, a … Continue reading →
November 12, 2019
On the Way to the Lincoln Forum
A funny thing happened on the way to the Lincoln Forum. After a career as a scientist, I became a Lincoln historian. And in a few days I’ll have the chance to join 300 of my colleagues at the annual … Continue reading →
November 8, 2019
Aquarium du Quebec – The Quebec Aquarium
I have been to fifty-nine different aquariums all over the United States and in at least fifteen countries. One of them was the Aquarium du Quebec, the Quebec Aquarium in Quebec City. My feelings about aquariums have evolved over the … Continue reading →
November 4, 2019
Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Get Married
Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. It came as a surprise to many, possibly even Lincoln himself. The fourth of seven children, Mary Todd was born in Lexington, Kentucky, to a wealthy slave-holding family. Her mother died … Continue reading →
October 30, 2019
If It’s Tuesday…Revisiting Belgium
An old post popped into my feed recently and it reminded me of when I lived in Brussels. At the time I began a travelogue of sorts on a now defunct social media writing site. I’ve posted a few updated … Continue reading →
October 24, 2019
Lincoln Receives First Transcontinental Telegraph Message
In October 1861, California Chief Justice Stephen Johnson Field reportedly sent a message to Abraham Lincoln via the newly completed transcontinental telegraph. The event was a milestone that predated the later transcontinental railroad. By 1860 a network of telegraph lines … Continue reading →
October 16, 2019
Lincoln in Peoria – The Speech Heard Round the World
On October 18, 1854 Lincoln rose to the forefront of the Republicans with a speech he gave first in Springfield, and then a dozen days later in Peoria. Newspapers published the second presentation, so it came to be known as … Continue reading →
