Abraham Lincoln on New Year's Eve 1861
Abraham Lincoln in a photograph by Alex Gardner from the last formal portrait sitting, Feb. 5, 1865, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Gardner / Library of Congress
A Chautauqua Lecture about one of America's greatest presidents: Abraham Lincoln. David Von Drehle is the author of "Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year." On New Year's Eve in 1861 the president was NOT celebrating. He was holding a critical meeting with his cabinet and members of congress. Why did Lincoln save the nation?
David Von Drehle is editor-at-large for Time magazine. He gave this lecture in 2013 at the Chautauqua Institution in New York.
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