One week before the 162nd anniversary of the Gettysburg Address (Nov. 19,1863), Dr. Robert Valentine will describe the circumstances in which Lincoln accepted the invitation to dedicate the first National cemetery for the interment of the Union dead following the Battle of Gettysburg. He also will discuss how Lincoln delved into the traditions of public oration, utilizing Old Testament forms of speech to define the meaning of the American Civil War and its impact on the future of our democracy

Dr. Robert Valentine is an historian who specializes in Nineteenth-Century American and Military History and has conducted extensive research on the U.S. Civil War. His publications include “Yankees and
Yorker: Opposition to Lincoln’s Policies in Westchester, New York and the Greater Hudson Valley”. Dr. Valentine began as adjunct professor at Lehman College in 1999, and has been a full-time senior lecturer since 2007. He served as acting Chair of the History Department and Chair of the Lehman College Academic Freedom Committee. In 2022, he won Lehman College’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Valentine received his Bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, Master’s degree from Fordham and Doctoral degree from The University of South Carolina.