In April of 1865, Lincoln proposed offering the vote to black soldiers who had served in the Union Army. It would turn out to be one of his final speeches: it’s thought that this proposal is part of the reason Booth accelerated his plans to assassinate the president. This year, we will explore the pressing issues around voting rights as our theme for the fifth annual Lincoln Ideas Forum. Join us as we bring together experts, scholars, and the public in an exploration of the historic contexts of citizenship, voting rights, and the Constitution, alongside the contemporary repercussions of debates over who gets elective franchise.

Lincoln Ideas Forum: Voting Rights event takes place on Friday, April 12, 2019 from 1 – 3pm at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, DC. This program is FREE and open to the public. Please register to reserve your space.

Moderator, Lillian Cunningham of The Washington Post

Speakers include:

• Robert Tsai, American University
• Elaine Weiss, Author
• Jason Torchinsky, Holtzman Vogel Josefiak Torchinsky PLLC
• Brianne Gorod, Constitutional Accountability Center

This program is presented at President Lincoln’s Cottage in partnership with the Constitutional Sources Project.