By Joining, You Can Enjoy Our All-Star Lineup
- edepstein1
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Ed Epstein
Washington, D.C.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
When I became Lincoln Group president in May 2024, I got into the habit of keeping a list of the monthly programs we put on for our members. I’m sure if you read on below to the complete list, you’ll agree with me that it’s an impressive array that would appeal to anyone with an interest in the life, legacy and vision of Abraham Lincoln.
So, as you read this, consider joining the Lincoln Group of D.C. to enjoy these members-only programs. A few things stand out:
In their sheer number and quality, the programs were tremendous. Thanks to all our presenters.
Out of the 19 programs since I became president, 12 featured our own members, showing that in addition to being interested in Lincoln, our members are first-rate scholars and authors about the 16th president, who is the most-written-about person in American history. No one is a close second.
These are the programs on my list. The names of Lincoln Group members are bold-faced:
May 2024: Jon Grinspan on “Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force that Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War”
September 2024: Ross Heller on “By Abraham Lincoln: His 1858 Time Capsule”
October 2024: David J. Kent and Ed Epstein on aspects of Lincoln’s 1864 re-election campaign
October 2024: a second program featuring David J. Kent on the 1864 election: “Was It Stolen?”
December 2024: Ted McClelland on “Chorus of the Union: How Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass Set Aside Their Rivalry to Save the Nation”
January 2025: Jeffrey Boutwell on “George Boutwell: Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy”
February 2025: Sidney Blumenthal at the annual Lincoln birthday celebration
April 2025: two programs: John O’Brien on Lincoln assassination conspiracy theories and Scott Schroeder on “Raised in Indiana: Lincoln in the Hoosier State”
May 2025: John Bicknell on “How the Struggle Between Abraham Lincoln and John C. Fremont Shaped the Civil War”
June 2025: Ed Steers on “Chasing Lincoln, 1980 to 1981”
September 2025: Lincoln Group Howard University Ph.D. fellows Ebonee Davis-Hayes and Fahtim’a Yaro on their research projects
October 2025: Richard Carwardine on “Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln’s Union”
December 2026: Stacy Lynn on “Loving Lincoln: A Personal History of the Women Who Shaped Lincoln’s Life and Legacy”
January 2026: Raymond McKoski on “David Davis: Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge”
February 2026: Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass at annual Lincoln birthday event
March 2026: David J. Kent on “Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours”
April 2026: Member-conducted panel program on “Making America Worth Saving: Lincoln’s Empowering Reverence for the Declaration of Independence.” Featured Edna Greene Medford, Thomas Horrocks, Jeffrey Boutwell, John O’Brien, David J. Kent and Ed Epstein
May 2026: Lois Romano on “An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial ad Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln”
I’m sure you’ll agree that this array of programming shows what a bargain a Lincoln Group membership offers. Spread the word to friends and colleagues who are interested in Lincoln or America history and suggest they join our ranks. The more, the better.
Visit Lincolnian.org and click on the “join now” drop down to join the Lincoln Group of D.C.
Photos by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and David J. Kent
Comments