Skip to content
Interpreting the Evidence

Earliest Known Photograph of Lincoln, c. 1846

Student View

About this Activity

  • Documents in this Activity:
  • Historical Eras:

    Civil War and Reconstruction (1850 - 1877)

  • Thinking Skill:

    Historical Analysis & Interpretation

  • Grade Level:

    Lower Elementary
    Upper Elementary
    Middle School
    High School
    College University

  • Topics:

    Civil War

  • Primary Source Types:

    Photograph

  • Regions:

    United States

  • Creator:

    NYS Archives Partnership Trust Education Team

  1. Load Earliest Known Photograph of Lincoln, c. 1846 in Main Document Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Document Description
The earliest known photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken by Nicholas H. Shepherd probably in Springfield, Illinois, circa 1846.
Historical Context
The United States needed a strong and dedicated man to lead it through such a devastating and desolate time as the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln proved that he had the strength and valor to preserve the Union. A few lines from his famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, capture his dedication to freedom:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that 'all men are created equal.' Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation may live."

President Lincoln was harshly criticized by some and seen as a savior by others. The dichotomy of the nation seemed to be aptly symbolized in his life.  On April 9, 1865, the Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. The war was over. In President Lincoln’s last speech, he encouraged the states of the Confederacy to quickly rejoin the Union and to begin the new era of American freedom. Unfortunately, President Lincoln never saw the results of his efforts and passion to preserve the Union and to end slavery in America. John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. He was only fifty-six years old.

 
Essential Question
How do individuals influence national and global event?
 
Check for Understanding
Describe the individual in the photograph and evaluate the impact of Lincoln on the start and outcome of the Civil War.
Historical Challenges
This photograph of Abraham Lincoln was taken around 1846. What was Abraham Lincoln's life like in 1846?
 
Interdisciplinary Connections
Math: About how old was Abraham Lincoln when this photograph was taken?
Science: This photograph was made as a daguerreotype, which used a process of photography introduced in 1839. Instead of film, what material is used to make a daguerreotype? How long might a person have to sit still when posing for a daguerreotype?
English Language Arts: Pretend you are the photographer who took this photograph of Abraham Lincoln and that you are writing in your diary the day you took the photograph. Write your impressions of Abraham Lincoln. You may want to include what you thought of his appearance, what you talked about when you took his photograph, and what you think he might do with his life in the future.
 

 

RETURN TO RESULTS