Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial: Enduring Legacy for America

• In Event: Scholar to Scholar II

Session Submission Type: Paper Session

Abstract

The bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth is a fitting occasion for an examination of his enduring legacy to American culture. This panel examines Lincoln’s inaugurals, compares Lincoln’s record on civil liberties with those of recent presidents, and anticipates the Lincoln influence on the upcoming administration of Barack Obama. Panelists also look at Lincoln’s religious convictions as evidenced by his messages, and examine ways in which the executive powers of the Constitution are malleated by war.

Sub Unit

• Scholar to Scholar Sessions

Individual Presentations

• The Crisis Paradigm: Lincoln, Bush and the Assault on Liberty - John Yearwood, Lamar University; Mary Alice Baker, Lamar University

• The Ambiguity of Lincoln’s Faith: Being Spiritual Rather than Religious - Jim Towns, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Absence of Malice: A Narrative Criticism of Lincoln's Inaugural Addresses - Kaylene Barbe, Oklahoma Baptist Univ; Vickie Shamp Ellis, Oklahoma Baptist Univ

• Challenge, Crisis, and Comparison: Lincoln and Obama - Nicki Michalski, Lamar University; Michelle Davis, Lamar University

Session Organizer

• John Yearwood, Lamar University