Welcome to www.jasonemerson.com — information about historian Jason Emerson’s research and writing projects, which focus mainly on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and his family.
Here you will find information and links to Jason’s books, articles, news, and upcoming projects.
NEWS: Check out Jason’s latest article, “This Man was the Only Eyewitness to the Deaths of Both Lincoln and Garfield: Almon F. Rockwell’s newly resurfaced journals, excerpted exclusively here, offer an incisive account of the assassinated presidents’ final moments.” posted on the Smithsonian Magazine website!
See Jason’s previous article, “This Civil War–Era Eagle Sculpture Was Made Out of Abraham Lincoln’s Hair,” posted on the Smithsonian Magazine website!
Jason’s latest book (with co-author with Erica Barnes) is “The Bear Tree” and Other Stories from Cazenovia’s History, published by Syracuse University Press in October 2021.
“The Bear Tree” and Other Stories explores the unheralded, inaccurately told, and long-forgotten tales of the historic lakeside village of Cazenovia, in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York State. Cazenovia is one of the jewels of Central New York, and yet very few books have told its story. Cazenovia is a town founded by wealthy men, and much of what has been written about it has focused on the elite and the grand lakeshore mansions in which they lived. In contrast, this new book chronicles the story of everyday Cazenovia: the fascinating people, places, and history of this 225-year-old community.
Readers will encounter historical characters such as Francis Blakeslee, whose relics from and reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War are unprecedented; elephant and lion tamer Lucia Zora Card, “The Bravest Woman in the World”; educator Susan Blow, “The Mother of American Kindergarten”; and World War I soldier Cecil Donovan, whose letters home vividly depicted the experience of war for those awaiting his return in Cazenovia.
Jason’s previous books include:
- The Madness of Mary Lincoln
- Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert T. Lincoln
- Mary Lincoln’s Insanity Case: A Documentary History
- The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln’s Widow, As Revealed by Her Own Letters
- Lincoln the Inventor
- Lincoln’s Lover: Mary Lincoln and Poetry
- Mary Lincoln for the Ages
- “Lincoln the Inventor” book to be reissued
The reissue of my book, Lincoln the Inventor, to be the final installment of the […] - “Giant in the Shadows” discussed in Washington Post article
Washington Post reporter Gillian Brockell wrote an article on Robert Lincoln’s proximity to three presidential […] - Abraham Lincoln, Harry Houdini, and a Spiritualist Lie
Was Abraham Lincoln a Spiritualist? Harry Houdini, the famed magician, did not think so, and […] - Earliest Known Photo of Abraham Lincoln
The earliest known photo of Abraham Lincoln is well known and commonly seen today, but […] - Lincoln’s Descendant Disliked Her Famous Heritage
Mary Lincoln “Peggy” Beckwith, Abraham Lincoln’s great-granddaughter, was a liberated woman who refused to conform […] - Mary and Tad interviewed by NY World in 1871
When Mary Lincoln and her 17-year-old son Tad returned to American after nearly three years […] - “Madness of Mary Lincoln” Honored
Thrilled and honored that my book The Madness of Mary Lincoln has been named one of […] - History Author Show Interview
INTERVIEW“Q&A with Jason Emerson: Mary Lincoln for the Ages,” The History Author Show, www.historyauthor.com, posted […] - Gettysburg Replies
Jason contributed an essay to the fantastic book, Gettysburg Replies: The World Responds to Abraham […] - Treasures of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Jason contributed an essay to the fascinating book, Treasures of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. […]