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CITY, N.D. – “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War,” a traveling exhibition is now open at the Barnes County Historical Society in Vally City. The display examines how President Lincoln used the Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War—the secession of Southern states, slavery and wartime civil liberties.
The traveling exhibition is composed of informative panels featuring photographic reproductions of original documents, including a draft of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment. Here are a few photos of that display taken by Steve Urness.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860, at a time when the nation was on the brink of war. Lincoln struggled to resolve the basic questions that divided Americans at the most perilous moment in the nation’s history: Was the United States truly one nation, or was it a confederacy of sovereign and separate states? How could a country founded on the belief that “all men are created equal” tolerate slavery? In a national crisis, would civil liberties be secure? President Lincoln used the Constitution to confront these three crises of war, ultimately reinventing the Constitution and the promise of American life.
The museum is sponsoring free programs and other events for the public in connection with the exhibition. Contact 701-845-0966, wes_anderson75@hotmail.com or check us out on Facebook for more information. “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” will be on display at the museum in Valley City until May 1st, 2015.
The National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office organized the traveling exhibition, which was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life. The traveling exhibition is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the National Constitution Center.