Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Introduction
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The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield preserves the home where Abraham Lincoln lived with his wife and four children lived from 1844 to 1861-the year when Lincoln family moved to the White House. The historic site includes numerous exhibits and sponsors events throughout the year. Thanks to preservationists and support from the state and federal government, many of the original homes surrounding the Lincoln home have also been preserved and maintained to match their mid-19th century appearance. s a result, visitors to this historic site can gain a sense of what life was like for Springfield residents prior to the Civil War as if time stood still. The complex includes a visitor's center as well as a gift shop.
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Backstory and Context
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At the age of 28, in 1837, Lincoln moved from New Salem to Springfield to start his law career. He married Mary Todd in 1842, and the two of them moved into the now-historical home in 1844. Outside of Lincoln's time as Congressman (1847 - 1849) and the 16th President of the U.S (1861 - 1865), it was the couple's only home (and the only one Lincoln ever owned).
Illinois has kept that promise, and the house is now a state historic site and museum that has welcomed millions of visitors over the years. Trained guides lead twenty-minute tours throughout the home, teaching visitors about the Lincoln family's daily life during their time in Springfield. The home, along with the small, perfectly preserved neighborhood surrounding, is like a walk back into the 1850s. Visitors to the home might expect to see Lincoln riding down the street on Bob, his horse, after a day of practicing law.
Sources
"Lincoln Home National Historic Site," accessed October 12, 2014, http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/sites/home.htm
"Lincoln Home National Historic Site," accessed October 12, 2014, http://www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/venue/Attractions/Lincoln-Home-National-Historic-Site
"Lincoln Home National Historic Site," accessed May 14, 2015, https://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm
Miller, William Lee. Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.