Lincoln Takes a Stand

Abraham Lincoln spoke at this court house on September 17, 1859, stopping there between speeches in Columbus and Cincinnati at the invitation of his friend, Dayton lawyer Robert C. Schenck, whom he had met while both were members of Congress. These Ohio speeches introduced Lincoln as a serious political figure outside of Illinois. That led to an invitation to speak at the Cooper Union in New York City, which made him known to the rest of the Republican Party and transformed him from a regional politician to a national leader. At the Republican Convention in May 1860, with Ohio’s help Lincoln was nominated, and that fall he won the election. His presidency preserved the Union and ended slavery.

Dayton, Ohio · United States