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Articles on Abraham Lincoln

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Voters in a county election, 1854. Etching by John Sartain after painting by George Caleb Bingham; National Gallery of Art

Why Franklin, Washington and Lincoln considered American democracy an ‘experiment’ – and were unsure if it would survive

Is American democracy an ‘experiment’ in the bubbling-beakers-in-a-laboratory sense of the word? If so, what is the experiment attempting to prove, and how will we know if and when it has succeeded?
A Black man holds up a sign during a Reparations Task Force meeting in Los Angeles, California on Sept. 22, 2022. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Reparations over formerly enslaved people has a long history: 4 essential reads on why the idea remains unresolved

Former enslaved persons have never received a dime for their labor. Nor have their descendants received reparations for the legacy of slavery. Should the descendants be paid? By whom and how much?
A statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, sits in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Historians consistently have given Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, their highest rating because of his leadership during the Civil War. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Presidential greatness is rarely fixed in stone – changing attitudes on racial injustice and leadership qualities lead to dramatic shifts

Historians change their views of presidents over time, often because of the country’s changing views on race and moral leadership.
Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900, held in ‘East Woods’ on East 24th St. in Austin, Texas. Austin History Center

Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States’ 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too

Known as Juneteenth in Texas, Emancipation Days symbolized America’s attempt to free the enslaved across the nation. But those days were unable to prevent new forms of economic slavery.
Critics of President Joe Biden have accused him of lying. Most American presidents have been accused of deception. Win McNamee/Getty Images

All American presidents have lied – the question is why and when

A political philosopher argues that while all American presidents may lie, those who appear to lie for the public good are often celebrated.
The monument ‘Rumors of War’ depicts a young African American in urban streetwear sitting atop a horse. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Old statues of Confederate generals are slowly disappearing – will monuments honoring people of color replace them?

With a few notable exceptions, public monuments across the United States are overwhelmingly white and male. A movement is slowly growing to tell a more inclusive history of the American experience.
The dining-out experience has changed as people wear masks and are separated by plexiglass in outdoor dining. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

From haute cuisine to hot dogs: How dining out has evolved over 200 years – and is innovating further in the pandemic

The pandemic changed people’s dining-out experience, with takeout becoming more common. But since dining out became fashionable in the 18th century, how and where people go to eat has been evolving.
Abolitionist John Brown, left, and President Abraham Lincoln, right, were both moral crusaders. Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Stock Montage/Getty Images

John Brown was a violent crusader, but he blazed a moral path that the cautious Lincoln followed to end slavery

President Lincoln was a statesman. John Brown was a radical. That’s the traditional view of how each one fought slavery, but it fails to capture the full measure of their devotion.
Pro-Trump supporters, including Infowars host Alex Jones, hold a ‘Stop The Steal’ protest Wednesday in Atlanta as Georgia’s recount nears the end. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Five reasons Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election will not lead to civil war

Much as the South rejected President Lincoln’s election with a massive armed uprising, could President Trump’s many supporters rise up and overthrow a Biden-led government?

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