On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous House Divided Speech in Springfield, Illinois. The speech helped propel Lincoln onto the national stage, setting him on course to become one of America’s greatest presidents.
William Henry Seward was born on May 16, 1801 in Florida, New York. Seward served as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state during the Civil War and later acquired Alaska for the United States.
Dean Gooderham Acheson was born on April 11, 1893, in Middletown, Connecticut. Serving in the state department for over a decade, he was influential in many of the United States’ World War II and post-war initiatives, including the Lend-Lease Act, Marshall Plan, and NATO.
John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790, in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the first vice president to take the nation’s highest office following the death of a sitting president, setting the standard for Presidential succession.
William Jennings Bryan was born on March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois. Known as “The Great Commoner,” Jennings ran for president three times, but is remembered for his impassioned speeches on a variety of topics, including anti-trust, anti-imperialism, prohibition, populism, and trust-busting.
James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia. One of America’s Founding Fathers and the fourth US president, Madison is considered the “Father of the US Constitution” and led America through the War of 1812.
On February 27, 1860, Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most important speeches of his career – the Cooper Union Address.
John Foster Dulles was born on February 25, 1888 in Washington, DC. Dulles helped draft the preamble of the United Nations Charter, worked with NATO, helped create SEATO, and was the 52nd US secretary of State.
Politician Walter Franklin George was born on January 29, 1878, in Preston, Georgia. Representing Georgia in the US Senate for 35 years, he became one of the most powerful and respected men in Congress during his lifetime.