Influencing Lincoln

The Pursuit of Black Freedom

Discover how the 19th-century Black community — connected through church, business, family, military, education and politics — fought for full citizenship and helped shift President Lincoln’s attitudes (and actions) regarding freedom. With extraordinary artifacts and a trove of historic documents (like the *Emancipation Proclamation!), you’ll experience another side of the story that led to the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments.

March 18 through October 29, 2023

This experience is located on Level Three and is included with purchase of museum admission.

Purchase admission

*On display through July 2; Sept. 20-Oct. 29.
There is an audio portion of this exhibit and we recommend bringing headphones to optimize your experience.
Influencing Lincoln Graphic

The path to full citizenship

Understand why fighting for freedom alone was not enough, following the struggle for rights from emancipation to obtaining the rights of full citizenship to voting rights and political representation.

Fighting for the right to fight

Appreciate the valor of the United States Colored Troops, including the 28th Indiana, and explore why the Black community fought so hard for the right to fight with the Union troops and how their service helped advance the cause of equal rights and citizenship.

Influencing Lincoln Graphic
Influencing Lincoln Graphic

extraordinary artifacts

See artifacts that help tell this story. Some of which include historic documents that resulted from this movement: the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment, the inkwell and pen used by Frederick Douglass, on loan from the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, the pew and pulpit from the historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Indianapolis and many more.

Hear the stories

  • Frederick Douglass, excerpts from his Eulogy for Abraham Lincoln

    Listen
  • Indiana’s Ratification of the Reconstruction Amendments

    Listen
  • Influencing Lincoln asset

    Andrew Jackson Smith’s Medal of Honor

    Listen
  • Elizabeth Keckly and William Slade

    Listen
  • Influencing Lincoln asset

    Chaplain Garland H. White

    Listen
  • Replicating a Keckly Dress

    Listen
  • The evolution of the Emancipation Proclamation

    Listen
  • The Colored Convention Movement

    Listen
  • The Election of 1864

    Listen
  • The Revels Brothers

    Listen
  • The Virtual Bethel Project

    Listen
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Go beyond the exhibit

Supported by

Ball Brothers Foundation Logo