On this date 204 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin similar to this one. For over a century people from around the world have come to rural Central Kentucky to honor the humble beginnings of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.  His early life on Kentucky’s frontier shaped his character and prepared him to lead the nation through Civil War.  The country’s first memorial to Lincoln, built with donations from young and old, enshrines the symbolic birthplace cabin. 

Photo: National Park Service

23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Photo: National Park Service 

The Battle That Saved Missouri For The Union.

On March 7-8, 1862, 26,000 soldiers fought here to decide the fate of Missouri and the West.  The Pea Ridge National Military Park honors those who fought for their beliefs. Pea Ridge was one of the most pivotal Civil War battles and is the most intact Civil War battlefield in the United States.

Photo: National Park Service 

Fort Monroe, a 19th century former Army post in Hampton, Virginia that is integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military - became the 396th park in the National Park System in 2011. This photo is of the bridge leading up to Postern Gate. Learn more about the park here.

Photo by Robert Kelly