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In 1860, Abraham Lincoln had twice lost bids for the US Senate. As the Republican National Convention opened in mid-May 1860 in Chicago, few at the time thought Lincoln stood a chance against New York abolitionist William Seward and former Ohio Governor Salmon Chase. Undeterred, Lincoln pursued a quiet strategy that secured him the presidential nomination that would split the nation: a miracle indeed. In the booming industrial city of Chicago, the 1860 Convention combined insider deals in smoky hotel rooms, torchlit night marches by paramilitary groups, and fiery speeches on the evils of slavery. It was the most consequential and contentious political convention of all time.
Pulitzer Prize finalist and Lincoln political biographer Edward Achorn will share details from his book The Lincoln Miracle, about which historian Gordon Wood said: “Anyone interested in the intricacies and ironies and the deal-making and horse-trading of American politics will love this book.”
This program will be hosted in-person at the Union League of Philadelphia. Registration is required.
Reception: 6:00pm
Program: 6:30pm
End of Program: 7:30pm
Streaming: Unless requested otherwise by the speaker, Founding Forward programs are streamed via YouTube. Click here to find the livestream (live at 6:30pm the day of the event). Virtual viewing does not require registration.
Speaker:
Founding Forward’s Civil War Round Tables provides programs (primarily lectures) about the American Civil War. This includes the political, social, and military aspects of the war, with a focus on Philadelphia and the Union League’s important role in the war.
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