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| Lincoln's Birthday | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lincoln's Birthday |
| Observedby | United States |
| Date | February 12 |
| Scheduling | same day each year |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Frequency | annual |
| Type | observance |
Lincoln's Birthday
Lincoln's Birthday commemorates the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, who was born on February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The observance intersects with anniversaries connected to American Civil War leaders, Republican Party history, and 19th-century American political development. Over time it has been associated with state proclamations, civic ceremonies, and educational programming tied to figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and institutions like the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.
The origins of the observance trace to posthumous commemoration practices following Lincoln's assassination in 1865, when mourners including Mary Todd Lincoln, members of the Lincoln family, and contemporaries such as Edwin M. Stanton and William H. Seward organized ceremonies. Early memorial efforts involved civic groups like the Grand Army of the Republic, the Young Men's Christian Association, and abolitionist networks linked to John Brown and William Lloyd Garrison. By the late 19th century, organizations such as the Lincoln Monument Association and the Chicago Historical Society held public events; monuments and memorials led to the construction of the Lincoln Memorial in collaboration with legislators from the United States Congress and architects influenced by the Beaux-Arts movement. State-level recognition varied: governors including Oliver P. Morton and Samuel J. Tilden issued proclamations, while state legislatures debated official observance tied to veterans' organizations like the Grand Army of the Republic and the United Confederate Veterans.
Typical observances include wreath-laying ceremonies at memorials such as the Lincoln Memorial, readings of the Gettysburg Address and excerpts from Lincoln's second inaugural address referencing reconciliation, and educational programs hosted by institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, and public libraries. Civic groups including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Boy Scouts of America have organized pageants and reenactments drawing on artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and collections at the Illinois State Historical Library. Academic conferences at universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago sometimes schedule lectures on Lincoln-era topics alongside exhibitions curated by the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians.
Legal recognition of the observance differs across jurisdictions. Several states, including Illinois, California, and Connecticut, have historically recognized the date through statutory holidays, gubernatorial proclamations, or school calendars influenced by state legislatures and education departments. In many locations the date is supplanted by combined celebrations such as Presidents' Day federal observance, established by acts of the United States Congress and codified in federal statutes administered by agencies like the United States Office of Personnel Management. Labor organizations such as the American Federation of Labor and municipal governments in cities like Springfield, Illinois and Hodgenville, Kentucky have maintained local closures or ceremonies. Court calendars in jurisdictions such as New York and Massachusetts occasionally reference the holiday when setting administrative schedules.
Lincoln's Birthday has influenced literature, visual arts, and media: poets and writers including Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Mark Twain contributed to Lincoln-era biographical and commemorative literatures; painters and sculptors commissioned by bodies like the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts created portraits and monuments housed in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art. Film and television portrayals by directors and producers referencing Lincoln involve figures such as John Ford, Steven Spielberg, and actors portraying Lincoln in works that circulate in archives like the Library of Congress film collections. Scholarly biographies from historians including Doris Kearns Goodwin, Eric Foner, and David Herbert Donald have shaped public understanding, and commemorative postage and coinage authorized by the United States Mint and the United States Postal Service have been issued for anniversaries related to Lincoln.
Commemoration has not been without debate. Scholars and activists have critiqued the sanitization of Lincoln's legacy versus his documented positions in sources preserved by repositories such as the National Archives and Records Administration and critical editions published by the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project. Controversies involve tensions among descendants represented by the Lincoln Family Association, historians from institutions like the American Historical Association, and political groups invoking Lincoln's imagery in debates over civil rights, voting laws, and federal authority—issues linked to cases decided by the United States Supreme Court and legislation debated in the United States Congress. Discussions also arise over the prioritization of Lincoln's commemoration relative to other historical figures such as Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, with museum curators and curatorial practices at the Smithsonian Institution and regional history museums under scrutiny.