Henry County

Lincoln: Let the Geek Tour Begin

Springfield, Illinois – The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

This was the first of six presidential museums on our itinerary (originally seven, but one is currently closed for renovations).

My review is simple: while this museum was not as exciting as some of the others, it was absolutely worth the stop. We enjoyed our visit, and I came away having learned quite a bit.

Unlike some presidential museums that focus heavily on artifacts and official documents, this one is more concerned with helping visitors understand Abraham Lincoln beyond the handful of facts most of us already know.

There is a small section covering his early life, but the primary focus is on the enormous challenges he faced from the moment he entered the national spotlight.

I remembered from school that talk of secession had been circulating as far back as the Jackson administration. What I learned here is that by the time Lincoln took office, the country was already deeply fractured into multiple ideological camps.

The election of 1860 featured four major candidates, and Lincoln won with just under 40% of the popular vote.

Once he won—and long before he was sworn in—Lincoln became the target of criticism, ridicule, and mockery from nearly every direction. Some opponents simply viewed him as unqualified and were astonished that he had won at all. The attacks never really stopped.

One fascinating detail was Lincoln's decision to fill his cabinet with political adversaries and former rivals, including the three men who had competed against him for the 1860 Republican nomination.

Like the Eisenhower Museum, my favorite exhibit was a video timeline of the Civil War. My Lovely agreed.

A large screen displays a time-lapse map of the conflict, with one second representing one week of the war. The map tracks territorial control, major battles, and the cumulative casualty totals for both sides.

Although the North enjoyed roughly a 2-to-1 advantage in manpower, it suffered about 50% more casualties than the South. It is also worth noting that more than half of all casualties were caused not by combat, but by disease and environmental conditions.

My second favorite exhibit was a tribute to Tim Russert, the longtime host of NBC's Meet the Press.

Presented from the perspective of the show's control room, the exhibit features Russert reporting on the election of 1860 as though he were covering it in modern times. The segments highlight the wide range of public opinions and the criticism Lincoln faced from both opponents and skeptics.

The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was an excellent stop and a worthwhile addition to our presidential museum tour.Read more