150th Anniversary of President Lincoln's First Inaugural Address at the Capitol
On March 4, 1861, newly elected President Abraham Lincoln addressed a crowd of onlookers on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol with a new Capitol Dome rising behind him. Today, visitors to the Capitol can find many tributes to President Lincoln throughout the Capitol and a number of these items are available for viewing online.
In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, a special tour, lasting 30 to 45 minutes, entitled "Capitol and the Congress During the Civil War," is offered Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. With stops at the Old Supreme Court Chamber and the Old Senate Chamber, this tour will explore how the Capitol was used during the Civil War, critical debates that took place during the Civil War, and key judicial decisions made during this time period. Get passes for this tour at one of the Information Desks on the lower level of the Capitol Visitor Center. http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/visit/special_activities/index.html.
Visit the Capitol Visitor Center's online Exhibition Hall to learn more about the Capitol and the Congress during the Civil war including stories and images from the era: http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Exhibitions/online/1851-to-1877.html.
The Library of Congress has additional information about President Lincoln including “With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition” that provides a number of multimedia and interactives exploring the life and times of Lincoln: http://myloc.gov/exhibitions/lincoln/Pages/default.aspx.
Abraham Lincoln at the Capitol
The best-known object in the Capitol associated with Abraham Lincoln is the historic catafalque, which was hastily constructed to support the casket in which his remains lay in state in the Rotunda; it has been used for numerous subsequent lyings in state and is now on display in the Exhibition Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center. Other works of art and objects in the Capitol and congressional collections related to Lincoln are illustrated and listed below.
