The South Dakota State Historical Society’s April “History Talks” features historian Richard Etulain, author of “Abraham Lincoln: A Western Legacy.”

Remembered for carrying the United States through a civil war and emancipating 4 million enslaved people, Abraham Lincoln has been the subject of nearly 17,000 books. While historians have chronicled his life and presidency, they rarely go beyond his assassination by John Wilkes Booth in April 1865 to look at his legacy in the American West.

Etulain focuses on Lincoln’s role in remaking the West while providing a concise overview of his life and the efforts to memorialize him following his assassination. Original research, including Etulain’s use of correspondence between local figures such as Senator Peter Norbeck and historian Doane Robinson provides unique insight into the discussions that led to Lincoln’s immortalization on a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

This free virtual event will be held on Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m. (CT) via Zoom. To register, go to sdhsf.org/events. “History Talks” is a monthly program of the South Dakota Historical Society Press and the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation.

Published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press in 2020, “Abraham Lincoln: A Western Legacy” may be ordered for $14.95, plus shipping and tax, online at sdhspress.com or at the Heritage Shop in the State Capitol in Pierre. For more information about the South Dakota Historical Society Press and its books, please visit sdhspress.com.

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. For questions or memberships, call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.