David J. Kent's Blog, page 31
August 26, 2019
Lincoln Explains to Conkling Why the Emancipation Proclamation Was Necessary
On August 26, 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to James C. Conkling, his friend and political colleague in Springfield, explaining why the Emancipation Proclamation was necessary. In it he reveals the thought processes he went through to reach his … Continue reading →
August 20, 2019
Abraham Lincoln’s Introduction to Slavery
Abraham Lincoln didn’t see much slavery as a small child growing up in northern Kentucky, or through his formative years in Indiana. But he did get an introduction of sorts. First, the church that his family belonged to in Kentucky … Continue reading →
August 13, 2019
Nikola Tesla and the Power of the Tides
“Many a deluded inventor has spent years of his life in endeavoring to harness the tides.” – Nikola Tesla Anyone who has seen the tidal surge in the Bay of Fundy can envision the potential of harnessing the natural power … Continue reading →
August 7, 2019
Abraham Lincoln and the McCormick Reaper
One of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous cases is one in which he never actually tried. On my second Chasing Abraham Lincoln tour I made an unplanned stop at the McCormick Farm, now part of the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and … Continue reading →
July 31, 2019
To Kiss or Not to Kiss: Blarney Castle
You’ve heard the schtick. Visit Blarney! Kiss the Blarney Stone! Gain the gift of eloquence! But should you do it? To kiss, or not to kiss, that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings … Continue reading →
July 24, 2019
Upcoming Abraham Lincoln Talks in Washington, DC
This has been a very busy summer in Lincoln world. For me personally I have two upcoming presentations in Washington, D.C., including keynoting a major annual event at Fort Stevens. And both are free (so come on down). The Lincoln … Continue reading →
July 19, 2019
Lincoln’s Rocking Chair – The Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
My Chasing Abraham Lincoln tour took me to Dearborn, Michigan to see the chair. “The Chair.” The rocking chair that Abraham Lincoln was sitting in the moment he was assassinated. The chair is in the Henry Ford Museum of American … Continue reading →
July 12, 2019
Seeing the Real Cuba – Camagüey
American travel to Cuba has been restricted since the early 1960s, but some Americans have visited the capital city Havana on cruise ship stops. But Havana is no more the real Cuba than Paris is the real France. To really … Continue reading →
July 8, 2019
Chasing Lincoln’s Almanac Murder Trial in Beardstown
On my most recent Chasing Abraham Lincoln trip I stopped in Beardstown, Illinois to visit the site of one of Lincoln’s most famous cases – the Almanac Murder Trial. Beardstown has the only active courthouse that Lincoln practiced in, and … Continue reading →
June 24, 2019
Visiting Hemingway in Cuba
For thirty years of his life, Ernest Hemingway lived on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. I spent some time recently visiting with the man who wrote The Old Man and the Sea. In fact, I visited the place where the … Continue reading →
