Q & Abe

Come on down the rabbit hole with us as we answer real questions from visitors to President Lincoln’s Cottage that we wish we could spend a half hour answering. We always start with Lincoln and the Cottage, but we often end up in unexpected places…

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would Lincoln have been a social democrat? 03/20/2025

Would Lincoln have been a social democrat? For this episode, we're talking about a question asked by a college student hoping to make contemporary political connections. Along the way we learn the difference between agrarian, republican, socialist, and democrat, hear some of Lincoln's speeches, and discuss the process of unionization here at the Cottage. Guests: Harold Holzer Sean Griffin Haley Bryant www.lincolncottage.org /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/35748185

Bonus: Running Hot and Cold 03/13/2025

Bonus: Running Hot and Cold This episode accompanies episode 7.2, "Was it this hot when Lincoln was around?" Jason Samenow described the craziest DC weather he's ever experienced, and Jason Hauser told us about some… creative… historical remedies for coping with the heat. www.lincolncottage.org /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/35654205

Was it this hot when Lincoln was around? 03/06/2025

Was it this hot when Lincoln was around? For this episode, we're discussing a question from a slightly desperate visitor to the Cottage this past summer. Along the way we meet the Capital Weather Gang, find out the surprising cultural baggage heat carried in the 1800s, and see if we can actually do anything about how hot it is out there. Guests: Jason Samenow Jason Hauser Shawna Weaver www.lincolncottage.org /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/35517205

Bonus: Vampire AV Club 02/27/2025

Bonus: Vampire AV Club This episode accompanies episode 7.1, "Have you seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?" Elizabeth Richmond-Garza told us why the director of the movie might have been particularly suited to this material, and we heard from all our guests - AND our staff - about whether they'd recommend the movie to others. www.lincolncottage.org /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/35424195

Have you seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? 02/20/2025

Have you seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? For this episode, we're addressing a question from a teenage student curious about how seriously we take ourselves. Along the way we talk about what vampire archetypes can mean for society, history on film, and how to think about whether something is "real" or not. Come along with us! Guests: Dr. Scott Magelssen Dr. Andrew Salvati Dr. Elizabeth Richmond-Garza www.lincolncottage.org /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/35343705

Bonus: Dr. Bennett on Covid 03/28/2024

Bonus: Dr. Bennett on Covid

This bonus episode accompanies episode 6.3, "When was DC its unhealthiest?"

While we were talking to the inimitable Dr. Ayanna Bennett, she was very clear that the Covid experience was a moment where the interconnectedness of everyone’s health became clear. We asked her, how else did Covid affect way she and her team approach their work?

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acas /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501942

Bonus: Frederick, is God dead? 03/14/2024

Bonus: Frederick, is God dead?

This bonus episode accompanies episode 6.2, "Did Lincoln ever go to church?"

John O'Brien shared more stories about the Lincoln family's life at New York Ave Presbyterian, and Dr. Corey Walker explained how Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth were grappling with how the god they believed in could let slavery happen.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501947

Did Lincoln ever go to church? 03/07/2024

Did Lincoln ever go to church?

For this episode, we're talking about a question we often get from visitors with a strong faith practice. On the way we talk about Mrs. Lincoln's Sunday best, the intersection of religion and politics re: slavery, and definitions of Christian nationalism. Come along with us!

Guests:

Richard Carwardine

Holly Hollman

John O'Brien

Dr. Corey D.B. Walker

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501952

Bonus: Checks, Balances, and Trains 02/29/2024

Bonus: Checks, Balances, and Trains

This bonus episode accompanies episode 6.1, "Does anybody know what Lincoln's next big idea was?"

Kate Masur explained more about Lincoln's willingness to collaborate with Congress, and Shannon Janean Currie made an intriguing connection between his time and our own.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501957

Does anybody know what Lincoln's next big idea was? 02/22/2024

Does anybody know what Lincoln's next big idea was?

For this episode, we're talking about a question we got from a supporter of the Cottage who was thinking about what Lincoln would have done with more time. On the way we talk about what political candidates need to do to connect with voters, how historians approach uncertainty, and how to know if your idea is a good one in the first place. Come along with us!

Guests:

Dan Barker

Shannon Janean Currie

Kate Masur

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

/episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501977

Why would Maryland do that? 04/12/2023

Why would Maryland do that?

For this episode, we're talking about a question we got from a student trying to understand the reasons behind Lincoln’s assassination. Along the way we’ll encounter a troubling relationship to cats, one of history’s most dramatic moments, and resources to stop radicalization in the present. Come along with us!

Guests:

Terry Alford

Alex Wood

Brian Hughes

www.lincolncottage.org

https://www.lincolncottage.org/learn/podcast/

/episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501982

Bonus: Celebrations and Response Times 04/06/2023

Bonus: Celebrations and Response Times

This bonus episode accompanies episode 5.2, "How fast did emancipation happen?"

Greg Downs recounted other emancipation celebrations you may not have heard of, and General Blanchard ran us through how the National Guard's timeline for deployment works.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501987

How fast did emancipation happen? 03/30/2023

How fast did emancipation happen?

For this episode, we're talking about a question we got from a British couple curious about the aftermath of the Emancipation Proclamation. Along the way we wander through several alternate timelines, the experience of Black soldiers, and the contemporary work of the National Guard. Come along with us!

Guests:

Holly Pinheiro Jr.

Gregory Downs

BG Leland Blanchard

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33501992

Bonus: 19th Century Queer 03/23/2023

Bonus: 19th Century Queer

This bonus episode accompanies episode 5.1, "Was Lincoln gay?"

Hugh Ryan shared an additional story of queer life in the 19th century, and Callie had a scenario she wanted to run by him to help understand how people in Springfield may have seen Lincoln and Speed.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502002

Was Lincoln gay? 03/16/2023

Was Lincoln gay?

For this episode, we're answering a question we've gotten from young people curious about Lincoln's relationships. Along the way we talk about gossipy Springfield, Illinois in the 1840s, Lincoln's close friend Joshua Speed, the invention of the term "straight," and how museums can tell queer stories. Come along with us!

Guests:

Charles Strozier

Margaret Middleton

Hugh Ryan

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502007

Bonus: Resonance Then and Now 03/17/2022

Bonus: Resonance Then and Now

This bonus episode accompanies episode 4.3, "Did Lincoln ever play basketball?"

Curtis Harris told us a little more about how the aftermath of the Civil War affected the ideologies behind the invention of basketball, and Len Elmore spoke to us about how he tries to share the long arc of history with his students.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502012

Did Lincoln ever play basketball? 03/10/2022

Did Lincoln ever play basketball?

For this episode, we're answering a question from a young person impressed by Lincoln's height. Along the way we talk about the peach basket story, Lincoln's wrestling bouts, whether he would've been able to keep up in the NBA, and the intersection of sports and activism. Come along with us!

Guests:

Curtis Harris

Tamika Dudley

Len Elmore

Lee Roy Smith

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See 02/24/2022

Where's all the furniture?

For this episode, we're exploring one of our all-time top questions at the Cottage. Along the way we'll stop by the White House records, historical cooties, measuring authenticity, and defining what a museum even is, anyway. Come along with us!

Guests:

Matt Costello

Erin Carlson Mast

Rainey Tisdale

Michael Atwood Mason

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502027

Bonus: Aftermath of Emancipation 02/17/2022

Bonus: Aftermath of Emancipation

This bonus episode accompanies episode 4.1, "Was Lincoln a racist?"

Richard Blackett told us about one of the obstacles folks promoting emancipation in the US faced before the Civil War, and Seth Levi told us about a project he’s working on to help support voting rights in communities descended from the formerly enslaved, among others.

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

/episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502042

Bonus: Leadership After the Election 11/05/2020

Bonus: Leadership After the Election

This bonus episode accompanies episode 3.4, "Did Lincoln ever worry he was unqualified to be president?"

Normally, for a bonus episode, we share with you portions of our initial conversation with our guests, but today’s episode is a little different. We checked back in for a new conversation with Jared Peatman and Nancy Belmont just yesterday, after the election. What is the responsibility of the people being led?

www.lincolncottage.org

/episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502047

Did Lincoln ever worry he was unqualified to be president? 10/29/2020

Did Lincoln ever worry he was unqualified to be president?

In this episode, we're exploring a question from a friend of the Cottage about Lincoln's self doubt and what it means to be qualified for the presidency. Encounters along the way include rowdy 1860s politics, imposter syndrome, the Constitution, and a formula for courage. Come along with us!

Guests:

Michael Green

Jared Peatman

Nancy Belmont

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502052

Bonus: Lincoln in the Bardo 10/22/2020

Bonus: Lincoln in the Bardo

This bonus episode accompanies episode 3.3, "Willie was his favorite, right?"

As we work on answering the questions for the show, we sometimes have fascinating encounters that are outside the main episode, but we still want to get them in your hands. About two and a half years ago, our Executive Director Erin Carlson Mast was in conversation with George Saunders, the author of Lincoln in the Bardo, on the Kojo Nnamdi show. The Kojo Show and American University were graci /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502057

Willie was his favorite, right? 10/15/2020

Willie was his favorite, right?

In this episode, we're investigating a visitor question about Lincoln's relationship with his four sons, including Willie. While we're looking around, we run into mischief in the telegraph office, our innate need to be loved, and a new reflection on Lincoln's oldest son, Robert. Come along with us!

Guests:

Alan Manning

Michael Mintz

www.lincolncottage.org

Hosted on Acast. See /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502062

Bonus: Brain Questions and Neuroaesthetics 10/08/2020

Bonus: Brain Questions and Neuroaesthetics

This bonus episode accompanies episode 3.2, "Wasn't she crazy?"

As we talk to our experts looking for answers to the questions for the show, we run into fascinating things sometimes that don’t quite fit within the main episode - but we still want to share them with you all. We asked Anjan Chatterjee an existential question, and also to explain a little more about his field of neuroaesthetics as it might apply to a place like the Cottage.

www.lincolncottage.org

/episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502067

Wasn't she crazy? 10/01/2020

Wasn't she crazy?

In this episode, we're digging into a question we often get from visitors about Mary Lincoln and her mental health. Along the way we stop off at the orbitofrontal cortex, what it's like to lose an election, the physiology of grief, and the connection between spiritualism and the telegraph. Come along with us!

Guests:

Catherine Clinton

Anjan Chatterjee

Joanne Cacciatore

Emily Cain

www.lincolncottage.org

Host /episode/index/show/119aa492-2b94-4ba4-8832-ca6296927b32/id/33502072

Q & Abe

TOPICS