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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.

Election of 1860

(National Park Service)

The election of 1860 might have been the most pivotal in American history. Abraham Lincoln, the candidate of the 6-year-old Republican Party, ran on a platform of keeping slavery completely out of the new territories that had been annexed from Mexico 11 years earlier. The dominant Democratic Party split into two factions over the slavery extension issue. Northern Democrats who felt the residents of the territories themselves should decide nominated Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, Lincoln’s longtime rival, as their standard bearer. Southern Democrats who wanted slavery extended regardless of the residents’ desires nominated Vice President John Breckinridge of Kentucky. A fourth candidate, John Bell, ran as a compromise candidate under the “Keep the Union together at all costs” banner of the Constitutional Union Party. The campaign was heated. Lincoln and the Republicans were not even on the ballot in the states of the Deep South. Although Lincoln only won 40% of the popular vote, the split in the Democratic Party enabled him to secure a comfortable majority in the Electoral College.

(Encyclopedia Britannica)

The map above shows the electoral breakdown. California was one of the states that would have opted for the Democrat had they run only one candidate. The map below demonstrates county-by-county results, indicating the percentage of the popular vote earned by the winning candidate in each county. Shades of red are for Lincoln, shades of blue are for Northern Democrat Douglas, shades of green are for Southern Democrat John Breckinridge, shades of yellow are for Constitutional Unionist Bell and shades of purple for the non-Republican/Democratic “Fusion” candidates. Grey are counties with no results. (South Carolina voted overwhelmingly for Breckinridge but county results were unavailable). Note that San Bernardino County voted narrowly for Lincoln.

(Minnesota Population Center)

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Mission Statement

As a museum and memorial, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine seeks to deepen the understanding of President Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War and its impacts on generations of Americans through education, interaction, exhibition, and research.

Make a Donation

If you would like to make a donation to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, please contact Nathan Gonzales, Curator at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org.

Volunteer

Become a Lincoln Shrine docent! Share your knowledge about Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, or American History. Contact the Heritage Room at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org for more information.

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Contact Us

Research Center - (909) 798-7632

Museum - (909) 798-7636

125 West Vine Street Redlands, CA

 

Group Tours

Guided tours are available by reservation for groups of 12 or more people.Please call (909)798-7632 for additional information.

Hours of Operation

Monday Closed
Tuesday 1pm - 5pm
Wednesday 1pm - 5pm
Thursday 1pm - 5pm
Friday 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 1pm - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm
Closed major holidays

Copyright © 2023 · Lincoln Memorial Shrine, All Rights Reserved

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine is a unit of the Special Collections Division of A.K. Smiley Public Library. The Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association, a 501 (c)3 tax deductible organization oversees the WLMA endowment.