lincoln's words through technology:
Primary Sources Usage concerning Lincoln and the Civil War

Learning On-Line by Howard Taylor

USING PRIMARY SOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS & OTHER SOURCES

Most resources I have located are listed at Lincoln Through Technology
Check Here to see a Hotlist of Primary Sources for Lincoln & the Civil War

1.  USING The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress TO READ

ACTUAL CORRESPONDENCE TO AND FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN [In the form of letters and telegraph messages]

  1. Go to the LOC Lincoln Papers site at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/malquery.html
  2. Decide in whom you would like to read correspondence to and/or from.  Type the name of the person in the Descriptive Information Box.  You should type it as this example:  Dennis Hanks to Abraham Lincoln.
  3. If you know of a specific letter you can type in more of the actual text to do a more specific hunt.
  4. Once you find the letter you would like to use, you can use it in the actual handwriting, or you can click the transcribe button.  It will re-write the correspondence in a clear typed format.
  5. Another way to find correspondence is to use the browse feature by specific collection.  It is organized into three sets by periods of time.  Lincoln
  6. Use this list of people during Lincoln's time that could have sent or received letters or telegrams to Abraham Lincoln.

2.  USING "We'll Sing to Abe Our Song!" collection of sheet music that was written or played during the Civil War and Lincoln's time.  This collection can be searched by specific Titles, Names, Subjects and Publishers.  A special search page is provided.

3.  USING THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS  LOC resource.   A detailed history of the actual draft copies of the address is provided with actual hand-written documents and transcribed versions displayed.  Also are included are: the invitation for Lincoln to attend the dedication, the only known photo of Lincoln giving it, and preservation techniques for the original paper documents.

4.  USING the Lincoln's First Inaugural Address LOC resource.  This is a special site that uses the language of this great speech to explain to us Lincoln's thoughts of slavery, of the tearing apart of the North and the South, and how in the end they were actually friends. 

5.  USING Artifacts of Assassination LOC resource.  These personal articles were hidden away until 1976 when then Librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin thought their exposure would humanize a man who had become myth logically engulfed."  These objects were displayed at the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum during the 2006 school year.

6.  USING the Teaching with Historic Places National Park Service resource.  By clicking the Lesson Plans link, there is a nice location browsing menu, including: Location/State;    Theme;  Time period;   National Standards for History;   Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. .  USING Illinois State Archives resources to study Abraham Lincoln.   This site is not exactly on-line such as LOC virtual libraries, but has

7.  USING the Illinois State Archives resources.  This resource is a very well organized collection of state-owned Lincoln documents.  The website has a search link that explains just what the Illinois State Archives holds in its collection, including: 

A List of Abraham Lincoln Documents Located in the Illinois State Archives;  

Public Domain Land Sale Records (Access this Illinois State Archives database and search for the name Lincoln Abraham to find land sale records for our 16th President);

State Collects Missing Lincoln Paychecks