Honoring the 100th Anniversary
of the Lincoln Memorial
In-Person and Online!
Free Capitol Tour Voucher*
This month marks the 100th Anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial. To honor this momentous occasion, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society will host an in-person and live-streamed event to discuss the legacy of, arguably, our nation’s greatest president. On May 24, our panel of experts will discuss the surprisingly hostile Congressional debate over the construction of the Lincoln Memorial. They will answer: Why was America’s most visited monument almost never built? Why did the Speaker of the House once proclaim, “So long as I live, I’ll never let a memorial to Abraham Lincoln be erected in that God d— swamp”? How did Lincoln's son work to preserve his father's memory? And what role did Congress play in the Memorial becoming hallowed American ground?
*All in-person attendees will be granted a free voucher for an outside Capitol tour hosted by the USCHS.
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Lincoln Memorial Centennial Event with:
- Dr. Roger Aden, Ohio University Professor of Communication, Author and Scholar on U.S. Public Memory;
- Brian Keefe, President of Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home;
- Susan Mandel, Editor and Former Freelance Writer, Author of “The Lincoln Conspirator” (Washington Post Magazine);
- Dr. Chandra Manning, Georgetown University Professor of History, Author and Scholar on Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Civil War;
- Shema Mbyirukira, J.D. University of Texas DC Archer Center Lecturer on the Politics of National Memory
When: Tuesday, May 24, at 12:30 pm ET
Where: Rayburn House Office Building Room 2043; livestream
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Thursday, June 23, from 12-1 pm ET
(Webinar) Our Voice as Americans:
Freedom of Speech, Petition, and Assembly
On June 23, we continue our series on the U.S. Constitution with the history of freedom of speech, petition, and assembly. During our final event about the First Amendment, we will examine how the Founders’ vision for our most important liberties translates to the present day. What does free speech mean in a world of social media and political partisanship? What makes America unique in our right to petition the government against grievances and abuse of power? What historical role has our right to protest played in shaping social discourse, government action, and law?
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Our featured speaker for this important conversation is constitutional scholar and journalist, Linda R. Monk, J.D., a Harvard Law School graduate and former USCHS Board Member. Her book on the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights: A User’s Guide, was awarded the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, its highest honor for public education about the law.
Like all U.S. Capitol Historical Society webinars, this event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
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Video Available!
American Freedom
and the Press
We continued our series on the U.S. Constitution by examining the 1st Amendment's guarantee of freedom of the press. Our featured speaker, Floyd Abrams, has been described as "the most significant 1st Amendment lawyer of our age," after representing the New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, Judith Miller in the investigation into the CIA leak, and Citizens United in one of the most impactful campaign finance cases ever heard before the Supreme Court.
During our event, we discussed journalism in colonial America and why the Founders believed freedom of the press was important enough to include in the 1st Amendment; Mr. Abrams' distinguished career arguing before the Supreme Court 13 times; and the state of modern media in light of mounting attacks against the industry and in the age of social media.
Finally, we asked for Mr. Abrams' thoughts on the unprecedented leak of the Supreme Court's draft decision to the press.
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Member Support
Makes it Possible!
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