Lincoln Home

Fans of Abraham Lincoln will delight in this photographic account of the President's early years and his humble roots. Before he became an extraordinary president, Abraham Lincoln was a husband, father, neighbor, and friend. For 17 years--from 1844 to 1861--he lived in a modest house at the northeast corner of Eighth and Jackson Streets in Springfield, Illinois. During that time, people met with Lincoln and his family within these walls, enjoying conversation, a meal, tea, or a party. When he ran for president in 1860, Republicans from around the country came to discuss the issues or lobby for patronage. Since his assassination in 1865, schoolchildren, politicians, world leaders, and ordinary citizens have eagerly stepped through the front door with the "A. Lincoln" nameplate to stand in the rooms once occupied by the future president. Since 1972, the home has been administered by the National Park Service as the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Tourists to this special place encounter the personal side of the man who saved the Union and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Through historic photographs and portraits, Lincoln Home tells the stories of the generations of visitors who have encountered Lincoln here.

Jonathan W. White is the Patrick C. Oxford Professor in the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author or editor of 22 books on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, including New York City in the Civil War.