Join us for this very special event as historian Harold Holzer and FAU’s Professor and Associate Provost for Academic Personnel, Stephen Engle, Ph.D., explore a lesser-known aspect of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. While Lincoln is chiefly remembered for saving the Union and ending slavery, he was also America’s most pro-immigration president. During his four years in office, Lincoln recruited over half a million foreign-born soldiers, worked to build immigrant landing stations, and even offered free land to non-citizen immigrants and refugees. However, his pro-immigration stance evolved over time, as he initially harbored hostility toward Irish immigrants and was wary of voter fraud. This program will examine how Lincoln’s views shifted, shedding light on an important chapter of American history and offering valuable insights into today’s debates on refugee migration.
Harold Holzer is the Director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College and one of the nation’s leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era, having authored, co-authored, or edited 55 books and received the National Humanities Medal. A former senior executive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Holzer is also an award-winning historian, frequent media commentator, and longtime advisor to national Lincoln commemorative efforts.
Dr. Stephen D. Engle is a professor of history, prize-winning author, and director of the Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency. A Fulbright Scholar and Smithsonian lecturer, he has received numerous honors, including FAU’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year and serves as the university’s Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA.
"I will attend his future lectures. He was top notch!" OLLI Patron
Live In-Person with Video Catch-up. Available 2-3 business days after the live lecture.
