Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, in which he tried to keep a fragile nation from splintering apart, will be the focus of a streaming program presented by the Seymour Historical Society on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. This Zoom program is being presented free of charge.
Lincoln’s most famous speech is, of course, the Gettysburg Address. But the stakes were even higher on March 4, 1861, when the 16th president was sworn into office at the U.S. Capitol. America was divided. The emotional debate over slavery seemed likely to end in bloodshed. In this program, Connecticut historian Mark Albertson will dissect Lincoln’s speech, explaining how the president tried to ease tensions, reassure Southerners, and – unsuccessfully, it would turn out – stave off Civil War.
“We are not enemies, but friends,” Lincoln told the nation. “We must not be enemies.”
The program is available to Seymour Historical Society members and non-members everywhere. To request the Zoom link, you may send an email to president@seymourhistoricalsociety.org. The link will also be posted on the historical society’s website at www.seymourhistoricalsociety.org and its Facebook page, @Seymourhistoricalsociety, before the event date. For more information about the program or Zoom access, please call 203 – 888-7471.
