Team of Rivals: Lincoln's Cabinet at the Crossroads of War May 28, 2011

Commemorate the beginning of the Civil War Sesquicentennial with a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for its one-of-a-kind temporary exhibition. What is it like to be President... when faced with a decision for war? This exhibition takes you inside the highest levels of the United States government as Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet struggle with the momentous issue of war. Restricted to the information they possessed at the time, you will confront the perplexities and options they faced during the first weeks of Lincoln's presidency - and decide for yourself if they made the right choices. Following the approach so skillfully employed by Doris Kearns Goodwin in her critically acclaimed book 'Team of Rivals,' the exhibition uses the experiences of Lincoln's closest advisors to illuminate Lincoln's leadership. A combination of compelling artifacts, images, and audio/visual presentations introduces you to the powerful personalities who advised the President and brings to life those fateful days when a divided nation teetered on the brink... then toppled into the dark abyss of civil war.