Existing comment:
Riding the Circuit:
On April 15, 1837, Abraham Lincoln left New salem to start a new life in Springfield. He began his legal career as the junior partner of John T. Stuart. Lincoln polished his writing, speaking, and persuasive skills in county courthouses scattered over central Illinois, and before the Illinois Supreme Court. Travel across the region provided Lincoln a chance to meet local political leaders, as well as regular citizens who visited on "court days" to listen to the speeches of opposing attorneys. His practice ran the full range of legal work. In the early 1850s, the railroads that were connecting rural Illinois to the larger world became an increasingly important part of his clientele. |