Tag: Lincoln

History Lessons

New president, new flag

General Post Office Building in Washington

By James Breig In three months, Americans will mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. A few months later, the sesquicentennial of the Gettysburg Address will be noted. Those two occasions have led to recent postings here about Abraham Lincoln and flags. Those stories focused on his 1861 rail… continue

History Lessons

Lincoln raises new flag

A sketch of the flag-raising from Harper's Weekly

By James Breig As America marches toward the 150th anniversaries of the Battle of Gettysburg (in July) and the Gettysburg Address (in November), this space has begun sharing some stories about Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. flag. Last week, some of his flag-related speeches from 1861, while he was on his way to his first… continue

History Lessons

Flags and Abraham Lincoln

By James Breig This year marks the midway point in recalling significant – and flag-related — anniversaries in American military history: the continuing bicentennial of the War of 1812, during which “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written, and the ongoing 70th anniversary of World War II, including the raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima…. continue

History Lessons

How a flag snagged an assassin

The ongoing sesquicentennial of the Civil War is leading, inexorably, to the 150th anniversary of the 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, who died within days of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, Virginia. Flags played a role at both the beginning of the war and in the death of Lincoln. In… continue