In celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth, the American Jewish Archives presents a look into the sixteenth president's relationship to the Jewish community. The documents included in this online presentation are arranged chronologically by subject and highlight Lincoln's actions regarding specific Jewish-related incidents during the Civil War, such as the appointment of the first Jewish chaplains in 1862 and Grant's General Orders No. 11, as well as Jewish responses to the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's assassination and legacy.

"Abraham Lincoln," photographed by Samuel G. Alschuler, 25 April 1858, Urbana, Illinois. Copy courtesy of Jean Soman.