Bring the story of President Lincoln’s assassination and the world of Civil War Washington into your classrooms through our distance-learning program.

How did people around the United States feel after the death of President Abraham Lincoln? What did they say? Ford’s Education examines primary sources to reveal how individuals reacted to a time of uncertainty following Lincoln’s assassination. In this interactive program, participants will look closely at historic documents and engage multiple perspectives. This session is 60 minutes including time for Q&A. Designed for 8th-12th graders. Recommended for AP U.S. History classes looking to prepare students for the Document-Based Question. Appropriate for anyone who wants to take a tour of the U.S. in 1865 to understand different perspectives on Lincoln’s assassination by examining 13 primary sources.

Ford’s Theatre and The National Mall and Memorial Parks explore what Washington, D.C., was like for President Lincoln and how the city has grown and changed over time. Examine places that mattered to Lincoln during his lifetime and places where he matters to us today, including the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Ford’s Theatre. In this interactive program, participants will look closely at historic and contemporary images of Washington D.C. including maps, photographs and illustrations. This session is 60 minutes including Q&A. Designed with 3rd-8th graders in mind; appropriate for anyone who wants to learn about Washington's major landmarks and how the city has changed over the last 150+ years.

The Petersen House is known as the place where President Lincoln died. But have you ever wondered about the people who lived there? Ford’s Education introduces you to the people who lived at the boarding house and their neighbors. Learn how the house became a national historic site and museum. Explore primary sources and first-person perspectives. This session is 45 minutes and includes time for Q&A. Designed with 5th-12th graders in mind. Appropriate for anyone who is already familiar with the story of the assassination of President Lincoln, and who wants to learn more about wartime Washington and the people who lived in the Petersen House.

What was Washington, D.C., like for President Lincoln and some of the people he met and knew here? Explore his assassination at Ford's Theatre and consider President Lincoln's legacy. In this interactive program, participants will look closely at historical and contemporary images including maps, photographs and illustrations. This session is 60 minutes including time for Q&A. Designed with 5th-12th graders in mind; appropriate for anyone who wants to learn about the story of Ford's, the world of Civil War Washington and the assassination of President Lincoln.

President Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, during his second inauguration as President of the United States. Dig into the language of this famous speech and uncover new meaning and deeper understanding in this guided close-reading.

Assist Detective James McDevitt as he investigates the assassination of President Lincoln. Revisit sites and reexamine clues from April 14, 1865. In this interactive, theatrical program, participants will interact with historical characters portrayed by an actor, examine primary source images and hear witness statements. This session is 60-minutes long including time for Q&A. Designed with 5th-12th graders and adult audiences in mind. Appropriate for anyone who wants a theatrical experience, exploring specifically the assassination of President Lincoln and manhunt for John Wilkes Booth.

After President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, an angry public threatened to burn the building to the ground. But Ford’s Theatre still stands over 150 years later. Ford’s Education explores what happened to the building after the assassination, who occupied it, and how it came to be a working theatre once more. In this interactive program, participants will look at historic images of Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House from the 1860s through today. This session is 45 minutes long plus time for Q&A. Designed with high school and adult learners in mind - appropriate for history enthusiasts who are already familiar with the story of President Lincoln's assassination, and who want to learn more about historic preservation and place-based memory.

Using the words of President Lincoln and important orators, students will learn the historical context of a speech, the power of oratory and the fundamentals of performance and public speaking. 

On April 12 and 13 at 4 p.m., watch a livestreamed speaker symposium co-presented with the Abraham Lincoln Institute. This year’s speakers highlight the influence of free and enslaved African-Americans on Abraham Lincoln's presidency and on Lincoln’s evolving views of racial equality; and explore the lived experiences of Black, white, free and enslaved women during the American Civil War.

Free! Join us live as we stream interviews with scholars, artists and other thought leaders as they think aloud about the future of the arts, civics and history. This program is also available as a podcast.