Saturday, August 10 will kick off six weeks of
the “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” exhibition and activities to
celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. The exhibition is the result of a
collaboration between the National Constitution Center and the America Library
Association (ALA) with funding provided by the National Endowment for the
Humanities. Locally, the Independence
Public Library and the Independence Historical Museum and Art Center have
joined resources to bring the exhibit to Southeast Kansas. Local activities have been created by the
library and museum to enhance the themes of the exhibit: Oath of Office, Divided, Bound, Dissent, and
Legacy. The exhibit and activities offer
a new perspective on Abraham Lincoln with a focus on his struggle to meet the
political and constitutional challenges of the Civil War. According to the ALA
“the exhibition explores how Lincoln used the Constitution to confront three
intertwined crises of the war—the secession of Southern states, slavery, and
wartime civil liberties. Visitors will leave the exhibition with a more
complete understanding of Lincoln as President and the Civil War as the
nation’s gravest constitutional crisis.”
The free exhibit opens at the museum on Saturday,
August 10, when the oath of office is administered to Abraham Lincoln,
portrayed by Lincoln enactor Troy Strahan.
Strahan, as Lincoln, will arrive at the museum by carriage and will
deliver his first inaugural address from the museum steps. Lincoln will be sworn in by Judge Roger
Gossard, Chief Judge of the 14th Judicial District. Lincoln enactor Troy
Strahan was a lanky grade schooler when he became fascinated with Lincoln and
learned that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest chief executive. Strahan loved all things Lincoln; reading
biographies and treatises, and researching every aspect of his life. He has portrayed Lincoln for a wide variety
of public, business, religious, non-profit and educational groups, including
performing Presidential speeches and portraying Lincoln’s love of
storytelling. Strahan is a regular presenter at the Lincoln, Kansas, “Lincoln Days,” and is a member
of the Lecompton Re-enactors.
Additional
activities on Saturday include the start of a silent auction for civil war era
items. The auction will continue through
to the end of the exhibit. Kids stories
by given by Abraham Lincoln and carriage rides with Abraham Lincoln will be
provided by Frank Crebase. These
activities are all free to the public.
Buersken's BBQ will sell meals.
Drinks and cookies will be sold by the museum. Museum tours and live music will cap off the
events of the day.
On
Monday, August 16, at 6:30 p.m.,
Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Senator Jeff King will be featured in
a debate over secession at ICC West. The
debate will be moderated by Dr. Dan Barwick, President of Independence
Community College. The event is free to the public. Senator King will discuss the importance of a
union of states versus a union over states and the rights of nullification.
Attorney General Schmidt will discuss the importance of the federal government
and its power over states. The context of both will be during, and leading up
to, the Civil War.
The exhibition and activities will continue
through September 20. Events will
include Civil War portrayals by Michelle Martin, Pastor Dee Williamston, Dr.
Lanna Reeve, a readers theatre, two Kansas Humanities Talks Series, and a panel
discussion on the Rebel Creek Massacre.
The exhibition will close on September 20 with a full day of activities,
ending with Strahan again portraying Lincoln and delivering the Gettysburg
Address.
All Lincoln activities are free to the
public. For more information contact the
Independence Public Library at 331-3030 or the Independence Historical Museum
and Art Center at 331-3515.
