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House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, a Family Divided by War

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Savannah, GA, January 19, 2009—In recognition of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the Georgia Historical Society is partnering with Savannah Chatham County Public Schools’ Massie Heritage Center to bring Civil War scholar and University of Georgia professor Stephen Berry to Savannah on January 29, 2009. Berry will be leading a public discussion of his book House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, A Family Divided by War. The event will take place at 7:00 p.m., at the Massie Heritage Center, 207 East Gordon Street on Calhoun Square in Savannah.  The program will include a brief lecture by Dr. Berry on his book, followed by a discussion with the audience.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

In House of Abraham, Berry explores the influence of Abraham Lincoln’s extended family, the Todds, on his perception of critical events faced as president during the Civil War. No family better illustrates the personal toll of the war than Lincoln’s own. The Todds were a large and complex family that embodied the deep division of the nation, their ideologies split between the Union and the Confederacy.  This captivating historical work reads like dramatic fiction, inviting readers to explore a more personal side of the man who guided a divided nation through a war that pitted brother against brother, and shows how the war changed one family and how that family changed the course of the war.

Berry’s book discussion is part of a series of programs and activities commemorating the 200^th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. In addition to the House of Abraham program on January 29, GHS and SCCPSS will bring journalist Andrew Ferguson to Savannah on May 7, 2009, to discuss his book Land of Lincoln:  Adventures in Abe’s America.  For more information, visit www.georgiahistory.com.   

To learn more about Savannah Reads events and the traveling exhibit Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America, located at Massie Heritage Center from January 30-February 19, 2009, visit the Massie Heritage Center’s website at http://www.massieschool.com/lincoln-events.html