Abraham Lincoln & Euclid

Feb. 12 was Lincoln Day in the US, a day to remember him and his impact on US history. What many people are not aware of is the impact of ancient Greece on Lincoln. You can see his tribute to ancient Greece by the Greek architectural style chosen for his memorial (the standard for most US gov. buildings), but even more important to mention is the influence of Greek mathematics on Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, US president during the American Civil War, is known to have been heavily influenced by Euclid and his mathematics. He kept a copy of Euclid’s Elements (about Geometry) next to his bed to study it. He said that he learned how to reason thanks to Euclid and recent research proves the connection between his speeches and Euclid.

The Gettysburg Address, considered one of the best speeches in US history, shows the link to Euclid and it will be explored more in the videos below.