National Park Service

The Civil War: 150 Years. National Park Service Sesquicentennial Commemoration.

Then: March 4, 1861

Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated

Abraham Lincoln taking the oath of office

Before a crowd of 30,000 people, Lincoln takes the oath of office and declares that "the Union of these States is perpetual" and that secession is an act of rebellion – not a legal right.

Now: March 5, 2011

See It For Yourself

Logo for Lincoln Inaugural Sesquicentennial event

150 years later, the Lincoln Group of D.C. is commemorating the event with a day of activities, including a reenactment of Lincoln reading the speech.

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