Senate Approves Durbin Resolution to Commemorate Lincoln Bicentennial

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, a co-chair of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, today announced the Senate's unanimous passage of his resolution commemorating the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth. The cosponsors of today's legislation represent the three states where Lincoln had lived - Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Roland Burris (D-IL), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

"Lincoln was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana and started a family in Illinois," said Durbin. "He solidified his legacy in Washington, DC as our 16th president. Two hundred years later, our nation is not simply celebrating the birth of a great man, but rather his great vision for our country that continues to inspire people around the world. Today's resolution encourages us to recommit ourselves to Abraham Lincoln's vision of equal rights for all."

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to modest means in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky. He spent his childhood in Indiana, and, despite having less than a year of formal schooling, developed an avid love of reading and learning. At the age of 21, Lincoln moved to Illinois, where he met and married his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, built a successful legal practice, served in the state legislature, was elected to Congress and participated in the famous "Lincoln-Douglas" debates.

Lincoln was elected to the presidency in 1860 and left Illinois for Washington, DC four months later. After the secession of the southern states, Lincoln steered the United States through a profound moral and political crisis and the bloodiest war in the history of the nation. During the war, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that slaves within the Confederacy would be forever free and welcomed more than 200,000 African American soldiers and sailors into the Union army.

On April 14, 1865, Lincoln became the first President of the United States to be assassinated, just days after giving a speech promoting voting rights for African Americans. The story of Lincoln and the example of his life, including his inspiring rise from humble origins to the highest office of the land and his decisive leadership through the most harrowing time in the history of the United States, continues to bring hope and inspiration to millions in the United States and around the world making him one of the greatest Presidents and humanitarians in history.

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