The Lincoln Memorial Shrine

A Lincoln Museum in Redlands, CA

Two hundred years after his birth, the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln continues to fascinate and inspire. Born into poverty on the edge of an untamed frontier, his rise from obscurity to greatness has become a symbol of the universal hope that we can all improve our circumstances in life.

America250

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Liberty’s Legacy: Celebrating 250 Years of Independence

As we honor a monumental milestone in American history – the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – the Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association invites you to join us for Liberty’s Legacy: Celebrating 250 Years of Independence, a program that reflects not only our nation’s past but also focuses on the enduring ideals that continue to shape our society today.

Taking place on September 29 and 30, this two-day program will include a keynote address by noted historian Jon Meacham and a symposium featuring scholars discussing the significance of the Declaration of Independence to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.

Keynote Address: Jon Meacham
September 29, 2026, 7pm
University of Redlands, Memorial Chapel

We are pleased to present a keynote address by Jon Meacham, a distinguished presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, and the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University. With a talent for weaving history with contemporary relevance, Meacham will explore the founding ideals embedded in the Declaration of Independence and their profound influence on American history.

Jon Meacham is the New York Times bestselling author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle and The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, among other books. His most recent work, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, And The Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, An Anthology provides a historical examination of American democracy through key speeches and documents from 1619 to present, analyzing national debates and divisions with expert commentary.

Jon Meacham’s engaging speaking style and profound knowledge makes this address a must-attend event for anyone interested in the foundations of our democracy.

The keynote address will be delivered on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 7:00 pm in the Memorial Chapel on the campus of the University of Redlands. The program is open to the public at no cost. Registration is required.

Register Here for Jon Meacham

Symposium: “Impact of the Declaration of Independence on President Abraham Lincoln’s Perspectives on Liberty and Slavery”
September 30, 2026, 9am-6pm
University of Redlands, Orton Center

Join us for an immersive all-day symposium featuring five distinguished scholars discussing President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War with particular focus on the impact of the Declaration of Independence on Lincoln’s perspective on liberty and slavery.

  • Akhil Reed Amar, JD, Constitutional Scholar, Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University, author of more than a hundred law review articles as well as several books, including The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 and its sequel, Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840-1920.
  • Michael D. Hattem, PhD., Historian of early America, the American Revolution, and popular memory, Associate Director of Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History, Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution, and to be released in late 2026, The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History.
  • James “Jake” Lundberg, PhD., American Historian and Journalist, Archivist, In-house Historian and Staff Writer, The Atlantic, previously taught U.S. History (Revolution to Civil War and Reconstruction) at the University of Notre Dame, author of Horace Greeley: Print, Politics, and the Failure of American Nationhood.
  • Manisha Kumar Sinha, PhD., American Historian on transnational histories of slavery and abolition, feminism, and the history and legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction, Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut, author of The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina, The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition, and The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920. Sinha was the 2018 Watchorn Lincoln Dinner speaker.
  • Ronald C. White, PhD., American Historian and author of two New York Times bestselling presidential biographies, A Lincoln: A Biography and American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant. White’s other books about President Lincoln include, Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural, The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words, and Lincoln In Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President. White was the 2003 Watchorn Lincoln Dinner speaker.

Click here to learn more about the speakers.

The symposium will attract educators, scholars, students and others interested in the nation’s founding ideals and Lincoln’s transformative leadership.

The all-day event will be held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Orton Center on the campus of the University of Redlands. The fee for attending the symposium is $125.00 per person. The fee includes lunch and closing reception at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, fostering meaningful discussions and connections among attendees. The symposium program starts at 9:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm. Registration is required. Deadline to register is Tuesday, September 15 or when sold out.

Register Here for the Symposium

Exhibits at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine: Coming to America and Slavery in America

As part of the Liberty’s Legacy: 250 Years of Independence program, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine is featuring two exciting exhibits that look at the legacy of the Declaration of Independence:

“Becoming the United States: Colonial America to Reconstruction,” created by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of America. The exhibit explores the foundational people, events and diverse communities that built the United States from the early colonial era through the Reconstruction period.

“ … That All Men Are Created Equal: Slavery in America,” created by Special Collection Division of the A.K. Smiley Public Library. The exhibit explores the history, experience and legacy of enslavement in the United States from the precolonial era through the twentieth century, featuring the Lincoln Memorial Shrine’s Slavery in America Collection.

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is open Tuesday-Sunday, 1-5pm. Please contact (909)798-7632 for more information about the exhibits.

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The Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association (WLMA) supports the mission of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. Founded in 1938 by Robert Watchorn as a 501(c)(3) non-profit California corporation, the WLMA helps advance the educational work of the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. The organization sponsors numerous programs throughout the year, including the Watchorn Lincoln Dinner. The dinner, hosted in coordination with the Special Collections Division of A.K. Smiley Public Library, is held annually on Lincoln’s birthday. Since the first dinner in 1932, more than ninety historians, authors and enthusiasts have addressed Watchorn Lincoln Dinner guests.