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Abraham Lincoln led America through one of its most difficult eras. His personal and political development as a leader and his ultimate success in preserving the union are pivotal features in the American story. By understanding how Lincoln led, we can begin to understand his impact on the office of the presidency and on the political culture of the nation.

In this course, filmed primarily in Springfield, IL, we will visit important sites in Lincoln’s emergence as a leader and will spend time with leading Lincoln scholars and archivists at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

COURSE CONTENT

• Six lectures
• Primary source readings that complement the lectures
• A certificate of completion for 8 hours of professional development credit

Readings: The suggested readings for each session will be listed on the course content page tabbed “Resources” in the online learning system. You are not required to read or purchase any print materials. Quizzes are based on the lectures.

Course Access: After your purchase, you may access your course by logging into the Gilder Lehrman website and clicking on the MY COURSES link under MY ACCOUNT in the navigation menu.

Questions? Please view our FAQs page or email selfpacedcourses@gilderlehrman.org.

LEAD SCHOLAR: Michael Burlingame

Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois, Springfield, has written and edited twenty Abraham Lincoln books, among them Abraham Lincoln: A Life (2 vols.; Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), a 2000-page biography which won several prizes and was designated one of the five best books of the year by The Atlantic. He is currently president of the Abraham Lincoln Association, based in Springfield.