Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours

David J. Kent will discuss his most recent book, Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours. Lincoln in New England revisits the important towns where Lincoln spoke and the pivotal figures that helped define the great issues leading to the Civil War. Readers join native New Englander and Lincoln historian David J. Kent as he travels back in time to examine the nation’s downward spiral into conflict. Much of the travel was in Kent’s home state of Massachusetts, where Clara Barton was born and lived until she was nearly 30 years old. Readers will explore the crucial issues that led to the civil war, the birth of the Republican Party as an anti-slavery faction, and New England’s own short-lived flirtation with secession in the spirit of independence. Through the book’s first-person travelogue style, historical maps with redrawn routes, original writings from Lincoln himself, insight from Lincoln historians, and black and white photographs, readers gain a full picture of the region’s vital influence leading up to the Civil War. The book has received advance praise from preeminent Lincoln scholars such as Harold Holzer, Michael Burlingame, and Jason Emerson, as well as New England experts such as Hildene’s Brian Keefe, biographer William F. Hanna, and Civil War expert John Rodrigue. Carolyn Ivanoff, a Clara Barton reenactor, appears in the book. David J. Kent is an Abraham Lincoln historian, former scientist, avid world traveler, and author of nine books, the most recent being Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours. He is the Immediate Past President and current Historian of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Lincoln Forum. He is a frequent speaker on Abraham Lincoln topics and served as Master of Ceremonies for the Lincoln Memorial Centennial program in 2022. David has won numerous awards both for his scientific work and as an Abraham Lincoln historian, including the Wendy Allen Award from the Lincoln Forum for the Lincoln Group of DC, the SETAC Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award, the CPRC Distinguished Service Award, and the Biology Major Award from the University of Bridgeport. He has written several books, including Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, both of which were finalists for several book awards, and Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, a worldwide bestseller translated into many languages. This presentation is included with admission to the museum and FREE for members.