‘If It Takes Three Years More’: Lincoln at the Sanitary Fairs of 1864

In the spring of 1864, Abraham Lincoln ventured out of Washington, D.C., to visit two of America’s most historic cities—Baltimore and Philadelphia. On both occasions, he spoke at fairs benefiting the United States Sanitary Commission, where he employed his prowess as wartime president to demand financial support, tangible labor, and revolutionary action in support of the Union cause amid the bloodiest year of the Civil War. In arguably the most underappreciated orations of Lincoln’s presidency, the 16th commander-in-chief brought new meaning to “the unfinished work” he had previously referenced, by delivering what could be considered more militant versions of his Gettysburg Address.

Join Codie Eash for an exploration of these speeches, in which Lincoln pleaded for a new “definition for the word liberty,” promised “retribution” against Confederates who slaughtered Black U.S. soldiers, and vowed to press on even “if it takes three years more.”