“With hayseed in my hair” I went to Massachusetts. That’s how Abraham Lincoln himself described his first trip to the most cultured state in the Union. We’re standing near a spot where Lincoln’s story in Boston unfolded.
In 1848 a relatively unknown congressman from Illinois Lincoln visited Massachusetts. He wasn’t here for sightseeing. He was campaigning for Zachary Taylor the Whig presidential candidate. Lincoln’s eleven-day tour was a whirlwind of speeches. He aimed to convince Massachusetts Whigs not to support the Free Soil Party candidate Martin Van Buren. Lincoln argued that a vote for Van Buren would help elect the pro-slavery Democrats.
One of Lincoln’s most memorable stops was in Worcester. He filled in unexpectedly at a Whig rally. The speech was a success. Worcester’s Whig chairman Alexander Bullock praised Lincoln’s address. He said it left no bitterness behind.
Lincoln’s speeches were masterful. He used wit and sharp analogies. His tall and thin figure commanded attention. He spoke for hours engaging his audiences. Lincoln even dined with ex-Governor Levi Lincoln. They joked about their possible family connection.
Lincoln’s visit to Boston was shorter. He changed trains here. He was traveling to New Hampshire to visit his son Robert. Yet his brief stop made an impression. He shared a platform with William H. Seward. Seward boldly predicted the end of slavery. Lincoln listened intently. He later admitted Seward was right. They needed to address the slavery question more directly.
Lincoln’s 1848 visit was just one chapter. His connection to Massachusetts ran deeper. His ancestors settled in Hingham three centuries earlier. Later his son Robert would attend Harvard. This visit strengthened the bond between Lincoln and Massachusetts. This place you stand near saw Lincoln campaign for Taylor. That same man later signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves. Lincoln’s visit here foreshadowed major events. His brief stay showed the beginning of his evolution on slavery. It helped him forge his path towards the Presidency and history.