On Our 250th: A Wish For America

Lincoln Home National Historic Site is partnering with the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, Made By Us, The New York Historical, and history museums across the country to invite YOU to share your wish for the United States’ 250th birthday, coming next year. Add your wish at OnOur250th.org and check out pop-up “Wish Walls” across the nation this summer, in locations near you.

Share your wish at Lincoln Home National Historic Site!

Stop by between June 19 and July 4, 2025. Check out the in-person Wish Wall and scavenger hunt in the Visitor Center. Or follow the link below to share your wish online!

What is your wish for America?

Share at OnOur250th.org!

Abraham Lincoln's Wish for America

On George Washington’s birthday in 1861, Abraham Lincoln made a wish.

Early in the morning on February 22, President-elect Lincoln arrived at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Standing in the birthplace of the nation, Lincoln sought to reassure the divided nation that bloodshed could be avoided. He drew his hope for America’s future from its revolutionary past. To him, the Declaration of Independence was not just about the colonies separating from Britain. He believed it promised an America in which “the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men.”

This wish defined his life and legacy. And left an enduring wish to fulfill.

As we approach America’s 250^th birthday, we invite you to join us as we look back at – and forward to – the wishes that made US.

On his inaugural journey to Washington, D.C., President-elect Lincoln stopped in Philadelphia. He raised a flag over Independence Hall and gave a speech in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed - all on the eve of the American Civil War.

Library of Congress, Harper's Weekly, March 9, 1861

A Changing Wish

Lincoln wished for an America that lifted the “weight” from the shoulders of all. But the things we wish for can change as we get older, meet new people, and experience more of the world.

What did "lifting the weight" mean to Lincoln at different moments in his life?

Explore how Lincoln’s hopes for the future changed throughout his life.

Childhood, 1810s to 1820s

Abraham’s stepmother, Sarah Bush Johnston Lincoln, wished for him to have an ability to learn and achieve a promising future. She nurtured his love of learning by providing him with encouragement and books. This “learning by littles” fostered his growth into a self-educated, driven individual. Sarah’s kindness and support helped shape Lincoln’s character and ambition throughout his life.

Our upbringing often shapes our views of the world and what we wish for it. This was the case for Abraham. His deep appreciation for reading and learning suggests that the ability to learn became his wish for others.

In a March 9, 1832 speech, Lincoln said: “Upon the subject of education…I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least, a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance… For my part, I desire to see the time when education…shall become much more general than at present…”

Learn more about Lincoln’s “learning by littles.”

Lincoln was shaped by many members of his family. Learn more about Abraham Lincoln’s family and their impact on his childhood.

Lincoln in the Illinois Legislature, 1834-1842

Abraham Lincoln’s vision for America’s future likely centered on a united, prosperous nation driven by settlement, innovation, with a focus on infrastructure and development that would elevate the country, even through periods of economic hardship. He wished for a nation that balanced idealism with practical solutions, advancing through perseverance and growth despite the challenges it faced.

Discover more about Lincoln's work in the Illinois Legislature.

Entrance into National Politics, 1850s

Abraham Lincoln’s early vision for America’s future centered on preventing the expansion of slavery, gradually evolving into a broader commitment to abolishing it, reflecting his hope for a nation free from the institution of slavery.

Curious about how Lincoln's views of slavery changed over time? Learn more about his wish to prevent the spread of slavery.

Entrance into the Presidency, 1861

Abraham Lincoln expressed his deep belief in the principles of the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing that America’s future should be based on equality and liberty for all. He hoped the nation could be preserved without sacrificing those core values, and he envisioned a future where the country would continue to grow and prosper, symbolized by the addition of new stars to the flag as the nation expanded.

Read and learn more about Abraham Lincoln's speech at Independence Hall during his 1861 inaugural journey to Washington, D.C.

After the Battle of Antietam, 1862

Abraham Lincoln sought to balance the preservation of the Union with the abolition of slavery, carefully navigating political pressures from both sides. While committed to ending slavery, he was cautious not to alienate border states with loyal Unionists, and waited for a military victory before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. After the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln reframed the war as both a fight to preserve the Union and to secure freedom for enslaved people.

Discover more about the Emancipation Proclamation and the pursuit of freedom at Antietam.

Gettysburg, 1863

As the death toll mounted during the first two years of the Civil War, many wondered whether any cause was worth the awful price. The Gettysburg Address was Lincoln’s effort to define and defend the war’s objectives and the need to see them through – whatever the cost. The war, he said, was a test whether a nation, “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” could survive and remain true to its founding ideals.

Read the Gettysburg Address.

Learn more about Lincoln’s visit to Gettysburg at the David Wills House.

Second Inaugural Address, 1865

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln hoped for a united America. He called for healing between the North and South, rather than retribution. He acknowledged slavery as the root cause of the war. Lincoln then expressed his wish that the nation move forward with charity, justice, and a lasting peace.

Learn more about Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and its vision for America's future.

Your Turn!

What’s something you wish for? Is it the same wish you had 1 year ago? 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

Lincoln was not alone!

What were the hopes of people living around Lincoln?

Who shared Lincoln's wish?

Find out with this scavenger hunt!

A Wish Fulfilled?

Assassinated in 1865, Lincoln did not live to see his wish fully achieved. But his wish – for freedom and equality grounded in the founding ideals – has echoed through time.

America’s first 250 years were shaped by the hopes of many people, including Abraham Lincoln. His life embodied the changing hopes for America as each ebb and flow of new generations, peoples, and ideas added to the wishes of the founders. Today, their wishes remain for us to fulfill, perfect, or make our own.

Your Turn!

How does Lincoln’s wish continue today? And what will you do to continue that wish in your life?