New Online: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Publishes Digital Archive of Papers From Lincoln’s First 33 Years

From The State Journal Register:

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library announced today the publishing of “the most complete documentary collection ever produced” of the sixteenth president’s first 33 years.
The collection covers much of Lincoln’s early years in Springfield, including the establishment of his law office and his four terms in the Illinois General Assembly.More About the Collection From the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library:

From childhood scribblings to a legislative protest against slavery, all Abraham Lincoln documents from his first three decades are now available online to scholars, teachers and history buffs around the world, thanks to the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project.
This first release of documents is a major step toward the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum’s goal of providing a transcript of every single document written by or to Lincoln, complete with helpful annotations and supporting information.

“This project has the potential to transform Lincoln scholarship,” said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Not only will researchers have immediate access to what President Lincoln wrote himself, but they’ll also be able to see what others were telling him. How did he navigate conflicting demands and make decisions? Now this information will all be in one place for students and scholars around the world.”
The presidential library’s Papers of Abraham Lincoln project has spent years searching the world for Lincoln-related documents, and then transcribing and annotating them. Now the project has begun releasing its work at www.PapersofAbrahamLincoln.org, a “beta” site that will be tweaked and improved as user feedback comes in.
This first wave, covering the period from his birth in 1809 birth to the end of his legislative career in 1842, contains 340 documents written by or to Lincoln. It also includes 4,839 documents that provide context on what issues Lincoln faced as a lawyer and legislator.

Direct to PapersofAbrahamLincoln.org
Read the Complete Launch Announcement

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