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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate and thank the
4 members of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
5 Commission for their outstanding work in preparing for the
6 celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
8 Commission has been hard at work preparing over 50 events
9 throughout the State of Illinois to celebrate the life and
10 legacy of Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest Presidents in
11 American history and resident of this great State, on the
12 occasion of his 200th birthday; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809 and
14 spent his boyhood in Indiana; at the age of 11, he and his
15 family moved to Illinois; living in the frontier town of New
16 Salem, he entered business and politics and was initially
17 unsuccessful at both; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Once he became established as a lawyer,
19 legislator, and leader, Abraham Lincoln moved 20 miles to the
20 southeast in 1837 to the new State capital of Springfield,
21 where he bought a home for his family and practiced law; in May
22 of 1844, Lincoln moved his young family into a home he bought

 

 

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1 in Springfield for $1,200; the home, currently the Lincoln Home
2 National Historic Site, now encompasses 13 homes in a
3 four-block district and is the only national park in Illinois;
4 Lincoln made additions to his home, the only one he ever owned,
5 and it was expanded from three to 10 rooms to accommodate his
6 growing family; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield until
8 February 11, 1861, when he departed for Washington, D.C. to
9 serve as the 16th President of the United States; sadly, his
10 death on April 15, 1865 turned Lincoln's triumphant return to
11 Springfield into a time of national mourning; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln's ties to the City of Springfield
13 are significant; the Old State Capitol on the downtown square
14 in Springfield is famous as the place where Lincoln delivered
15 his "House Divided" speech and where his body lay in state
16 while mourners streamed past his open coffin after his death;
17 as part of the bicentennial celebration, the Old State Capitol
18 has been used for numerous events, including a "day of gospel",
19 the issue of four new Lincoln stamps, and a naturalization
20 ceremony for swearing in new citizens; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln's legacy is well known throughout
22 the State of Illinois, the United States, and the world at
23 large; he is commemorated in music, poetry, and sculpture; his

 

 

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1 words are quoted regularly by poets and politicians; his face
2 has adorned stamps, coins, and currency and mountains, cities,
3 highways, and schools bare his name, fitting tributes to this
4 great man and what his work has done for the United States and
5 its citizens; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln has defined the civic ideal of
7 what is means to be an American; his wisdom, eloquence, and
8 unyielding character still serves as a shining example of how
9 21st century Americans can and should live their lives;
10 therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
13 congratulate and thank the members of the Illinois Abraham
14 Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for their outstanding work in
15 preparing for the celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th
16 birthday; and be it further
 
17     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18 presented to the members of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln
19 Bicentennial Commission as a symbol of our esteem and respect.