Mr. Lincoln Goes to Washington
Vickie Walsh, Carmel Middle School
Level: 8th Grade
Indiana Standards: 8.1.20, 8.1.21, 8.1.24, 8.1.29, 8.1.30, 8.2.8
Length: 1 ½ 55 minute class periods
Overview: The task facing President-Elect Lincoln in early 1861 must have seemed insurmountable. The
day his inaugural train pulled out of his hometown of Springfield, Illinois seven states had declared their
secession from the United States. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and
Texas formed the Confederate States of America. Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina
would join them in the following months.
Even with rumors of assassination plots, Lincoln made several stops along his twelve day journey from
Springfield, Illinois to Washington D.C. in cities like Cincinnati and even Westfield, New York where he
met the precocious Grace Bedell, discussing his new “whiskers”. The addresses given at various stops,
some brief, others detailed, give us insight into the heavy burden facing the new president.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to read and analyze two speeches given by President-Elect Lincoln.
2. Students will be able to understand the issues facing the United States and Lincoln as he entered
his first term as president.
3. Students will understand the steps leading to secession and Lincoln’s goal of reunion.
Background: Classroom activities and discussions leading to this lesson plan would have included a brief
background on the life of Abraham Lincoln as well as events leading to the Civil War such as the Dred
Scott Supreme Court Case, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry.
Students would have recently studied the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
Activity One: Springfield Speech
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Students will watch the video clip from Ken Burns’ The Civil War where Lincoln addresses a
crowd as he leaves Springfield, Illinois for his inauguration in Washington D.C. Students will
receive a copy of the address given to the citizens of Springfield and should follow along as the
actor recites the address. Prior to watching the video clip we will set the scene for this speech
as well as go over the train route to Washington D.C. (I will remind students that President
Obama followed the last leg of the Lincoln’s train route from Philadelphia to Washington as he
made his way to his own inauguration in 2009.)
Students will work in groups of three or four to analyze the speech using the included worksheet
as modified from the National Archives website. Each group will get a copy of the
Lincoln/Nicolay writing of the speech. I will explain that Lincoln began writing the speech once
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the train pulled away from the station and it is likely that Lincoln’s aide, John Nicolay, finished
writing it with Lincoln possibly making changes until satisfied.
Once the groups are finished with the document analysis, the class will come back together to
share answers and discuss. We will look at the past, present, and future theme of the speech as
well as the emotions that Lincoln must have been feeling.
Groups will get back together to decide on four adjectives to describe Lincoln at the time of this
speech. Students will use the bubble map on the back of their worksheet to fill in four bubbles.
They will then find a person that was not in their group, compare bubble maps, and add any
adjectives that they did not have. The class will come back together and complete a bubble map
on the board with all of the adjectives. Students will then discuss and explain the adjectives
chosen. This will be the end of the first class period.
Activity Two: Indianapolis Speech
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As a warm-up to the day’s lesson, I will ask students to answer the following question in their
notebook. “Predict what Lincoln said and/or did at each of the stops along his inaugural train
route. Include why you think that.” After about five minutes, I will ask for volunteers to share
their answers.
I will distribute the speech the Lincoln gave during his stop in downtown Indianapolis. I will read
the speech aloud while the students follow along.
Students will again work in groups of three or four to analyze this speech using the included
worksheet.
Once the groups are finished with the document analysis, the class will come back together to
share answers and discuss.
We will then move to the double bubble map on the back of the worksheet comparing and
contrasting the two speeches. Students will work in their small groups to brainstorm topics
without filling in their map. After a few minutes, I will invite students to the board to fill in the
master double bubble map. We will discuss, and possibly disprove, the words placed on the
board.
Homework: students will need to write a five paragraph essay comparing and contrasting
Lincoln’s speeches in Springfield and Indianapolis. Specific details from the speech will be
required.
Extended Activity
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I will show students the Google Map I briefly started on Lincoln’s inaugural train. I will assign
groups of students to different stops on the route to research information about the stop and
the speech given at each stop. We will work together to complete the Google Map on Lincoln’s
trip to Washington D.C.
Resources:
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Lincoln’s handwritten copy of the Farewell Address
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc05107x.jpg
Excerpt from John Nicolay’s book recollecting the train ride.
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=3809
“Mr. Lincoln Goes to Washington” Google Map
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116549380454065436310.00
048be9ad2ce6bceb216&z=8
Thinking Maps Website http://www.thinkingmaps.com/
The Lincoln Log – A daily chronology of the life of Abraham Lincoln
http://www.thelincolnlog.org/view/1861/2/11
National Archives Analysis Worksheet
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_workshee
t.pdf