August 3, 2014

Exploring the Parallel Lives of Two Great Statesmen

Churchill Centre member Lewis Lehrman, co-founder of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, has created a new website (www.lincolnandchurchill.org) exploring interesting parallels in the lives and accomplishments of two of history’s most notable leaders: Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill.

Lehrman believes that Lincoln and Churchill, arguably “the two greatest English-speaking statesmen”, possessed different yet equally impactful leadership abilities through which they “achieved a necessary victory in order to save the unity and endurance of America and England. Lincoln freed the slaves; Churchill kept England free from the threat of Nazi slavery.” These two extraordinary war leaders, Lehrman argues, give modern society powerful learning tools as it faces the challenges of the future.

The new website features a wide range of articles, essays, and other resources that explore Lincoln and Churchill’s lives and careers, including how they the faced the challenges of the American Civil War and World War II respectively. Their speeches, families, and even their shared love of Shakespeare and animals are highlighted. Of particular interest is the site’s cartoon archive, which demonstrates how the appearance and personality of both men were caricatured by the press.

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Chairman of L. E. Lehrman & Co., Mr. Lehrman received the National Humanities Medal in 2005 for his support of American history education through the teaching programs, fellowships, and archives of the Gilder Lehrman Institute. He is the author of Lincoln at Peoria (2008), and his articles on the 16th President have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Greenwich Times, and other periodicals. Mr. Lehrman holds honorary degrees from Babson, Gettysburg, Thomas Aquinas and Lincoln Colleges and Marymount University and is a Trustee of the New York Historical Society.

To learn more about Winston Churchill, please visit www.winstonchurchill.org.