Screeria nigeria. Lincolns life. Professor wilson. [applause] professor wilson good morning. See what it says here. My name is douglas wilson. [laughter] im the codirector of the Lincoln Studies Center in illinois. It is my privilege to introduce the first speaker in the 2015 Abraham Lincoln institute symposium. He is a young scholar. He has already earned an array of honors. He was educated at penn state where he took his bachelors degree in two dozen one, and the receipt of maryland where he earned a masters degree in 2003, and a phd in 2008. The department of history maryland awarded him a price in potable history. His doctoral dissertation earned a prestigious prize and thousand 10. He has already authored several books. Including to lincoln titles most recently, emancipation, and the union army and reelection of lincoln. More than two dozen articles have appeared under his name in scholarly journals and Popular History magazines. In 2005, he won the john t hubble prize for the bes
Pinches the wants to make you pinches cheeks. This man is as close to god as is humanly possible. [laughter] alford was awesome. I had him fall semester and failed his class. Not because he was bad, but because i did not come to class. Dont expect to fail. That was just me being stupid. Hes cool. [laughter] quotes alfred manages to be wetyourpants funny at 8 00 a. M. In the morning. It is as if you are watching a movie, but it is him just reading the tapestry of american history. And finally, my favorite stop reading these reviews and sign up for his class before all the seats are taken. Please welcome my friend and fellow board member, dr. Terry alford. [applause] professor alford thank you for this great invitation. It is great to see such a large audience. He got invited to read his poems at 7 00 friday night at the community center. He was delighted and showed up at 6 30. No one was there. 6 45 tone was there. 7 00, no one was there, not even the person who invited him. [laughter]
Made far from it. Fell dead Holding Without affect on the audience. But given the time to make deeds of his words it might have been one of more far reaching. Tragically he was not to be granted that time. As has been noted there was one in the audience that night who would use lincolns words as the catalyst for one of most heinous and destructive acts in our nations history. From childhood we are taught to know John Wilkes Booth is to hate him. Hes demonized as the embodiment of evil and yet few of us really know very much about him other than the fact that he was a handsome and popular member of the nations leading thespian family until he jumped the track. His own brother described him as a good hearted harmless though wild brained boy. What has been wanting in the pantheon of lincoln scholarship is a highly readable biography of booth until now. After spending a quarter century in the most pain staking research dr. Terry alfred has written fortunes fool. A book that will long defin
Fallen folks. It was not the best speech me made far from it. Fell dead Holding Without affect on the audience. But given the time to make deeds of his words it might have been one of more far reaching. Tragically he was not to be granted that time. As has been noted there was one in the audience that night who would use lincolns words as the catalyst for one of most heinous and destructive acts in our nations history. From childhood we are taught to know John Wilkes Booth is to hate him. Hes demonized as the embodiment of evil and yet few of us really know very much about him other than the fact that he was a handsome and popular member of the nations leading thespian family until he jumped the track. His own brother described him as a good hearted harmless though wild brained boy. What has been wanting in the pantheon of lincoln scholarship is a highly readable biography of booth until now. After spending a quarter century in the most pain staking research dr. Terry alfred has writte
I read men and women, children too. Rich and poor, the known and the unknown. Because of this emergent and diaries, letters, and other writings, i found a lot that surprised me. Its made clear to me that no matter how majestic and resplendent or the public ceremonies honoring lincoln this end of the war moment was not a time of unity and closure. In the cacophony that ensued people that is agreed about the meaning of the war talked past and over one another. The immediate aftermath of lincolns assassination, those hours, days and weeks, i soon realized where a key moment of intense strife that had been left out of the story. And a moment that resonates into the present day. With Union Victory and confederate defeat that first week of april, 1865, everything was at stake. Black freedom had been teased and deliver, but would it last . Peace would soon be declared but could it endure . How could confederate the brought back into the citizenry . Where and how would former slaves live and w