A Speech, A Trip to Exeter and the Election of Abraham Lincoln

In the fall of 1859, Abraham Lincoln was little known outside Illinois and neighboring states. Yet in May of the next year, he became the Republican nominee for the Presidency. Historian John Herney will share the story of how that happened which has much to do with, as one historian has said, "the most important speech in American political and constitutional history" and one person's failed application to college.
This program will be broadcast on Channel 6 and on Zoom. For those attending in person, the program will be held at the Exeter Town Hall, where Abraham Lincoln spoke on March 3, 1860.