David J. Kent's Blog, page 6

Rocket Man Abraham Lincoln

It is no secret to anyone who has read Lincoln: The Fire of Genius that Abraham Lincoln was a fan of advanced weaponry during the Civil War. He would routinely entertain inventors promoting their new device “that would surely end the war tomorrow.” Some of those devices were rockets, and... Continue reading

What Does the Juneteenth Flag Mean?

June 19th – Juneteenth – represents the end of slavery. But how did that come to be so? And what does the Juneteenth flag mean? As the graphic above notes, Juneteenth is based on the date June 19, 1865, which is the date that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in... Continue reading

The Two “Republican” Conventions of 1864

Things were not looking good for Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in 1864. The populace was fatigued from over three years of bloody war with no end in sight. Lincoln had finally found a general “who fights” in Ulysses S. Grant, but even Grant was bogged down with a... Continue reading

Join Me for the White House Historical Association History Happy Hour, June 6, 2024

Join me on Thursday, June 6, 2024, for the White House Historical Association’s History Happy Hour. The program is free and begins at 6 pm ET. Register Here to receive the Zoom link. The White House Historical Association (WHHA) is “a private, nonprofit, educational organization with a mission to enhance... Continue reading

Out with the Old, In with the New

On Tuesday evening, May 21, 2024, I officially became “the old.” At that time, I relinquished the role of Lincoln Group of DC president, handing the gavel (figuratively, since we do not have an actual gavel) to “the new,” President Ed Epstein. In keeping with our long history, we had... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln: The Only President with a Patent

Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to own a patent. His idea for “an improved method of lifting vessels over shoals” was given Patent No. 6369 on May 22, 1849. The development of the patent stemmed from his personal experience getting his flatboat hung up on the New Salem... Continue reading

Lincoln and the Permanent Commission of the Navy

Lincoln’s enthusiasm for mathematics, science, and technology made him a national sounding board for innovations, but he simply could not handle all the inventors pouring letters into his mailbox or showing up at the White House expecting a stamp of approval for their miraculous “war-ending invention.” Unlike today, there was... Continue reading

Lincoln’s Influence on Civil War Science at York Civil War Round Table

I’m excited to report that I will be presenting at the York (Pennsylvania) Civil War Round Table on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. This will be an in-person meeting at the York Historical Society Museum, 250 East Market Street, York, PA 17403. It will also be broadcast via Zoom. Both in-person... Continue reading

Unexpected Lincoln – The Other Booth Brother in Manchester-by-the-Sea

We all know John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. And then there was Edwin Booth, the great Shakespearean actor known for his performances of Hamlet. But there was another Booth brother in the acting business, and you won’t believe where he showed up in this edition of... Continue reading

Abraham Lincoln Assassination Science

April 14, 1865, had been a busy day for Abraham Lincoln. The previous week he had walked through Richmond, arriving back in Washington to a telegram saying the South’s main army would fight no more. On this Good Friday, Lincoln felt rejuvenated, relieved that the war would soon end and... Continue reading