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200 Years Of Abraham Lincoln In his own time Abraham Lincoln was a controversial figure. After his death he became a national hero. Now, as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, scholars continue to debate the legacy of the Great Emancipator, exploring his assassination and his writings.
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200 Years Of Abraham Lincoln

Hands Of An Artist: Daniel French's Lincoln Memorial

Daniel Chester French's solemn white marble sculpture of Lincoln has presided over history since its 1922 dedication. A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., looks at its creation.

Hands Of An Artist: Daniel French's Lincoln Memorial

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If Abraham Lincoln Had An iPod

If Lincoln had used an iPod, it would have needed a lot of memory. Classical music commentator Miles Hoffman reports that the 16th president's musical tastes ranged from popular ballads to opera, and that his No. 1 favorite may have been, surprisingly enough, "Dixie."

If Abraham Lincoln Had An iPod

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Abraham Lincoln: A Portrait In Music And Words

American Public Media

At the height of WWII, Aaron Copland used excerpts from Lincoln's speeches, combined with musical quotations from American songs, to create one of the most enduring works in American music. In honor of Lincoln's 200th birthday Thursday, hear the U.S. Marine Band perform Lincoln Portrait in concert.

Hear Copland's 'Lincoln Portrait' in Concert

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Lincoln's Manuscripts Reveal A Constant Reviser

Abraham Lincoln changed the way leaders talk to the American people, says author Harold Holzer, editor of In Lincoln's Hand, a collection of the 16th president's manuscripts. Lincoln used simple language to speak to a broader audience, and the documents reflect his efforts to find the right words.

Lincoln's Manuscripts Reveal A Constant Reviser

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At Ford's Theatre, Lincoln's Death Revisited

To mark the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, NPR spoke with historian James Swanson about the final moments of Lincoln's life and about his assassination by John Wilkes Booth. They toured Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C, where Lincoln was shot in 1865.

At Ford's Theatre, Lincoln's Death Revisited

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Scholar Reappraises President Lincoln

In a new documentary, Looking for Lincoln, Henry Louis Gates Jr. tries to uncover the real man. He discovers that Abraham Lincoln may have been known as the great emancipator, but he also told racist jokes and hoped to resolve America's racial dilemma by sending blacks back to Africa.

Scholar Reappraises President Lincoln

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Lincoln's Bicentennial Turns Into Lovefest

Celebrations across the country Thursday will honor the bicentennial birth of Abraham Lincoln. There are new Lincoln pennies, postage stamps and books. The greatest private collection of Lincoln books and artifacts might be in Chicago. The owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop says it's been a media frenzy leading up to Lincoln's 200th birthday.

Lincoln's Bicentennial Turns Into Lovefest

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Review

Three Books...

Three Books Explore Lincoln's Complex Genius

Every generation of Americans reinvents Abraham Lincoln in its own image. Among the crush of recent Lincoln books, these three help us understand his personality, power and relationship to his times.

Three Books Explore Lincoln's Complex Genius

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What Happened To Those Who Conspired To Kill Lincoln

Host Liane Hansen speaks with writer Anthony Pitch about his new book They Have Killed Papa Dead!: The Road to Ford's Theater, Abraham Lincoln's Murder, and the Rage for Vengeance. Pitch talks about how President Lincoln's assassination conspirators were tried by a controversial military tribunal, not a civilian court, and how the conditions of their confinement were so harsh that one tried to commit suicide.

What Happened To Those Who Conspired To Kill Lincoln

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Lincoln Was A President 'Tried By War'

Abraham Lincoln had almost no military experience when he arrived at the White House in 1861. In Tried By War, author James McPherson explains how Lincoln defined the role of the American commander in chief as he led the country through the Civil War.

Lincoln Was A President 'Tried By War'

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Lincoln's Strategy To Turn Rivals Into Allies

Fresh Air

After he won the presidency, Abraham Lincoln brought three of his rivals for the Republican nomination into his cabinet. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals, recounts the life and work of our 16th president — and the principal characters of his administration.

Lincoln's Strategy To Turn Rivals Into Allies

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Debates Thrust Lincoln Into Public Eye

Next week marks the 150th anniversary of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate. There were seven in 1858, as the lanky Abraham Lincoln battled to unseat the stalwart incumbent Stephen Douglas. Tens of thousands turned out to see a Republican and a Democrat debate slavery.

Debates Thrust Lincoln Into Public Eye

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The Day Lincoln's Hometown Erupted In Racial Hate

A century ago this week, Springfield, Ill., descended into a two-day spasm of racial violence and mayhem that still has the power to shock. A mob of white residents rampaged, destroying dozens of black-owned businesses and running most of the city's black population out of town.

The Day Lincoln's Hometown Erupted In Racial Hate

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Lincoln Letter May Fetch $3 Million at Auction

A rare collection of historic manuscripts goes on sale at Sotheby's Thursday. The highlight is a letter dated April 5, 1864, in which President Lincoln replies to a petition sent by 195 children from Concord, Mass., requesting that he free "all the little slave children in the country."

Lincoln Letter May Fetch $3 Million at Auction

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