In a famous speech titled The Lyceum Address, delivered on January 27, 1838, Abraham Lincoln warned of the potential for America's destruction originating from within. He stated that if danger were to approach, it would spring up amongst the nation itself, not from abroad. Lincoln emphasized that if destruction were to be the fate of the United States, the nation would be both its author and finisher. He suggested that as a nation of freemen, America must endure through all time or perish by its own hand, highlighting the internal challenges to maintaining the freedom and independence that had been declared.

Two days ago marked the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809. As a significant figure in American history, his birthday was once observed as a day of remembrance in many states, though not as a national holiday. Schools and local government offices often closed, and educational efforts focused on memorializing Lincoln and the era he shaped. From 1879 through 1970, his birthday held importance across the United States, though it was never federally recognized as a holiday. Despite common belief, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, which shifted Washington's birthday to the third Monday in February, did not combine Lincoln's birthday with it, nor did it rename the day as President's Day. Many still mistakenly refer to this holiday as President's Day, assuming it honors both Lincoln and Washington, but it remains officially Washington's birthday. Lincoln's legacy is notably tied to his Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg. In this speech, he declared, "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." He spoke of the ongoing Civil War as a test of whether such a nation could endure, urging the living to dedicate themselves to the unfinished work of those who died, ensuring that the nation, under God, would have a new birth of freedom and that government of, by, and for the people would not perish. This address, particularly the Bliss copy—written in 1864, signed and dated by Lincoln, and etched into the Lincoln Memorial—remains one of the most recognizable speeches in American history. Senator Charles Sumner, in his 1865 eulogy, called it a monumental act, noting that the world would never cease to remember Lincoln's words, despite Lincoln's own prediction to the contrary. The Bliss copy, requested by historian George Bancroft for a soldier fundraiser, included the phrase "under God," which scholars believe was not in the original speech delivered at Gettysburg. This addition may have been a strategic move by Lincoln, aware of Bancroft's perspective on providence and divine destiny in American history, to align with the historian's views. Lincoln's careful preparation of major speeches, evident in his steady script, contradicts myths of him composing the address hastily on a train. Multiple copies exist, named for their recipients—Nicolay, Hay, Everett, Bancroft, and Bliss—with the Bliss copy being the most widely recognized. Historically, memorializing Lincoln in schools involved memorizing the Gettysburg Address, reflecting on his era, and understanding the complexities of the Civil War. While many assume the war was solely about slavery, it was primarily driven by economic differences between the agricultural South and industrialized North, as well as Lincoln's belief in preserving the Union at all costs, even if it meant prioritizing a unified democracy over states' rights. This perspective shifted the form of government, highlighting how remembrance of historical truths can fade over time when not properly maintained.