On the Hunt for Abe Lincoln's Legal Work; 20 Years and Nowhere Near Done
Although he is most famous as a U.S. president elected—and assassinated—during the Civil War era, Abraham Lincoln practiced law as an Illinois attorney for 25 years.
Hence, an ambitious project that seeks to locate every legal document he ever wrote has kept academics busy since the 1980s, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Among those who have spent years of their life tracking down clues at courthouses and historical societies is John Lupton, a 41-year-old expert on Lincoln’s handwriting who joined the team in 1991 as a graduate student. Among his finds after a research team spent days combing through records in an obscure courthouse: a 43-page legal argument written by Lincoln, the longest document known in his own hand.
“Anyone can find a Lincoln document when it’s signed A. Lincoln on the bottom,” says Lupton. “But finding his name hidden in an unrelated letter? Or recognizing his handwriting? That’s a real challenge.”
