Last month I visited the Museum of American History, and although I was unable to see the Lincoln exhibit, I bought a copy of Abraham Lincoln, an extraordiary life.

I would like to ask about 2 items, on pages 80 and 83. The pall on p. 80 has a sign, saying it covered Lincoln’s body while lying in state in Cleveland on April 25, 1865. On page 83 the newspaper headline reads, “The Funeral of President Lincoln, New York, April 25, 1865″. You also have a map showing the route from Washington to Illinois. Was Lincoln’s body actually able to go from a daytime funeral service in New York and arrive to lie in state in Cleveland all on the same day?

As a second question that I have never been able to determine, exactly when was Andrew Johnson sworn in as president? Over the years I have read articles that say Lincoln’s term ended on April 14, when he was shot, and others saying April 15, when he actually died? Since the wound was obviously fatal from early on, did Johnson take the oath right away, or was it administered after Lincoln passed away?

Thanks for your time and help.

Sincerely,

Eldon Cagle, Jr.

My question is for educators (home, classroom, afterschool, or “other”):
We’ve heard from some teachers that you want primary sources to use in your lessons. We at the National Museum of American History tried to do this with our “image gallery.”
- What do you think of the format?
- Is there anything we could do differently to make the objects more useful to you?
- Also, if this format works for you, how do you think you might use the objects?
Thanks very much and enjoy the rest of the conference!

Does the Smithsonian look to purchase particular artifacts when/or if they become available? Does the Smithsonian have specific artifacts they would like to add to the collection?

Thanks again for the great presentation. Very well organized and an amazing opportunity to soak up an incredible amount of information.

Eric Langhorst