Last week, I went to the New York Historical Society to view the Abraham Lincoln and John Brown exhibits. Aside from being pleased that the visit was free thanks to the cultural passport, I was concerned that I wouldn't find many things in the exhibits interesting. History is not my strong suit, and I usually avoid it at all costs, but there was definitely something in these exhibits for everyone.

At the very beginning of the Lincoln exhibit, there is a photograph showing New York during his era. It is a picture of cobblestone streets, horse pulled carriages, and top hats on almost every man's head. I liked the photograph a lot, and I thought that it provided a nice visual to accompany the description of the events of the time. I don't know about other people, but I sometimes have difficulty imagining myself in that far into the past. Having the image right there certainly makes things easier. It also gives the viewer a sense of nostalgia, an atmosphere better suited for someone called "Honest Abe". 

Another part of the exhibit that I found interesting was a podium. It was from this object that Lincoln delivered the speech that would prove him to be the moderate voice for the Republican Party. I stood behind it and looked out at the photograph of the audience that Lincoln himself looked out on as he spoke. "No one ever before made such an impression on his first appeal to a New York audience." 

The next item that caught my attention was a weapon. The arrival of Lincoln had many people divided. While he was supported by the Wide Awakes, there were those secessionists and slave holders that held the opposite believes with just as much passion. This disunity was represented in the exhibit by the cold hard steel of an axe. The uniform of Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth was just as effective. He was the first casualty of the Civil War. His uniform was worn by a mannequin, with the hole that came from the bullet that killed him still visible over his heart. There was even a deep stain still present from the blood that soaked his uniform.

The John Brown exhibit wasn't as interesting to me. It was a small room and didn't consist of as many pieces from the time period. It was mostly straight information with a few illegible letters written in script. I was most impressed by John Brown himself, and the courage he had for standing up for his convictions. Granted, he didn't go about it in the best manner, but I was struck by his quote: "I go joyfully in behalf of millions." Someone else said about him, "If John Brown did not end the war that ended slavery, he did at least begin the war that ended slavery."