The Secret Life of Abe Lincoln

Cult Figure of the Years 2001-2002

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, possibly has the most instantly recognizable face from American history. His name appears everywhere--children's toys, cars, cities, streets-- even the first cross-country highway (built in 1913) was named Lincoln Highway. His image appears on the penny and the $5 bill, on Mount Rushmore, and on countless thousands of silhouettes in schools and banks during the month of February. Nearly every American can recite the first line of the Gettysburg Address ("Four score and seven years ago...") but would be hard-pressed to come up with anything said by George Washington.

Few men (and fewer presidents) can match the stories of his life, from walking 20 miles to return a borrowed book to freeing the slaves, to being the president during the Civil War to his martyrdom at the hands of John Wilkes Booth. He is, in effect, the "super president," even sharing with "supermodels" the disease called Marfan's syndrome. He is the perfect American cult figure.

Many of his accomplishments are the stuff of legend, but how many people know of his minor ones? His muscular body from years of chopping wood and building his own log cabins, his flirtation with cross-dressing, his life as a dancer... these are the things which were not talked about in the innocent days of the 1800s when a president's private life was considered his own. Here, for the first time, our international team of artists and researchers has unearthed evidence of the private side of Abe Lincoln.

Contributions

Alas, Poor Garlick

Alas, Poor Garlick

Abe Lincoln also appears on Gridcosm levels 655 and 664
(thanks to Natalukas for helping him get there!)

© 2001, Ken B. Miller & Contributors as Listed. | Reproduced from Shouting at the Postman #44, February, 2001 | 15286

These ads help support my website