Lincoln-Douglas debate museum to be site of History Happy Hour Thursday

QUINCY — The Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum, 128 N. Fifth, will be the site of a History Happy Hour at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Tides of Freedom” will feature speaker J. Matthew Ward, a visiting assistant professor of history at Quincy University. The doors will open at 5 p.m., and a mini reception will follow. There will be time for follow-up questions following the talk. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

Quincy is famous for the sixth debate in the Lincoln-Douglas debates and as a city in the Mississippi River valley during the Civil War era. Quincy held a unique position during the Civil War. Although it was a free state, just across the Mississippi, slavery was in full swing. How did slavery affect the lives of people living in these border cities? What were their views on slavery? Did the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 change anything for these people and their communities?

Ward received his doctorate in 2021, focusing on U.S. 19th-century history. His research focuses on American military occupation, political development, gender studies and the Civil War.

The talk is part of an event called History Happy Hour, a series of presentations given every third Thursday of the month at the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum.

The Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and on most major holidays. The museum first opened in 2010 and, after
extensive remodeling, reopened in 2023. It is free to attend during business hours and
has numerous exhibits and interactive features. The museum’s exhibits include information about the debate itself, a look into Lincoln and Douglas’ lives, artifacts, information on other historic Lincoln sites, and professional videos.

For more information, visit the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum website.