On this day, Abraham Lincoln was born 199 years ago near Hodgenville, Kentucky. In anticipation of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, today, February 12, 2008 marks the official Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Kick-Off with the opening ceremony at the Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site featuring the current president, George W. Bush, as the keynote speaker.

Following the passage of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act in 2000, President Bill Clinton, the Senate and the House of Representatives appointed a 15-member Bicentennial Commission. The commission orchestrated the coordination of events that will take place from February 2008 to February 2010 to celebrate and educate the American public about the 16th president.

National events in honor of Abraham Lincoln will include the minting of a commemorative coin, the re-dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and a joint meeting of the US Congress on the anniversary of his 200th birthday.

The State Historical Society of North Dakota, along with several other state agencies and organizations has likewise been planning a number of state-wide events in conjunction with the national celebration. Rick Collin was appointed by Governor John Hoeven in December of 2005 to serve as the state’s representative to the Abraham Lincoln National Bicentennial Commission.

According to Collin, “Lincoln is much more than the 16th President of the United States. He represents not only to Americans, but to people around the world, the idea of many of our core values as human beings – equal rights, equality for all, democracy, freedom, liberty – and those are the ideals we’ll be remembering as part of our state’s Lincoln Bicentennial observance.”

Although Abraham Lincoln never visited North Dakota, he left his mark on the state, just as he did on the nation. Dakota Territory was created two days before Lincoln’s first presidential inauguration which gave him the opportunity to appoint the first two territorial governors, the first being his personal physician William Jayne. Also significant for the future state of North Dakota, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act and the Morrill Land Grant College Act in 1862 as well as the 1864 charter for the Northern Pacific Railroad. He pardoned over 300 Dakota following the US-Dakota Conflict of 1862, and two forts, one south of Mandan and one south of Bismarck were named in his honor.

North Dakota kicked off the Lincoln Bicentennial this month with the grand opening of the Lincoln’s Legacy in North Dakota exhibit at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.

Written by Christina Sunwall

Sources:
Lincoln Bicentennial- http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/default.aspx
North Dakota State Government- http://www.nd.gov/hist/lincolnupdate.pdf
North Dakota State Government- http://www.nd.gov/hist/LincolnFinalWorkPlan11_07.pdf

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