Portrayed by Christian Johnson

President-Elect Abraham Lincoln was great because he undertook the task of keeping the Union together.  He knew territories were going to open and the question of slavery could be addressed again, yet he came aboard knowingly and willingly. This observer of the human condition never gave up. The Compromise of 1850 gave him 10 years to incubate, ten years to learn. In a letter to Horace Greeley, he was asked how to solve the slavery issue. He told Greeley, “I don’t know. I’m a man of my times.” But eventually he did know. Although Lincoln never saw the 13th Amendment enacted, he died knowing it passed in both legislative houses.

Lincoln was a team-builder. He created a cabinet of rivals and tested them. He took chances and he was willing to own up to his mistakes: choosing Simon Cameron for Secretary of War was one of them. Lincoln tried to rescind his offer, and when that didn’t work, he had his Secretary of the Treasury watch Cameron while Lincoln bided his time. Eventually he sent Cameron to Russia.

With towering height and craggy facial features, Johnson is an impressive Abraham Lincoln who shares a deeply resonant voice with our former president. Both men share a profound respect for the truth: “History is not history, unless it’s the truth – the rest is legend.” Equally important, they are known for their respect for self-education and for their self-deprecating humor. And both men inspire loyalty – Mr. Johnson is called back year after year to tell Lincoln stories that inform and uplift.

Enjoy Abraham Lincoln’s deceptively simple parables or pattern your company’s leadership style after the Great Emancipator, as does President Obama.

Invite Abraham Lincoln (Johnson) to your event:

• Keynote Speaker: Leadership / Teambuilding
• Educational Programs: The Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln – for Schools, Museums, Libraries, Historic Sites
• Parties: Mix & Mingle
• Parades: Participant
• Pair with Harriett Tubman or Edgar Allan Poe (born in the same year)
• Christian Johnson: Bio of Actor/Historian, Reenactor, or Impersonator