On July 4, 1864, the day Abraham Lincoln arrived at the Cottage for his final season, he signed into law An Act to Encourage Immigration. Connected to the 1864 Republican Party Platform, this act was the first time in American history an immigration law encouraged and fostered legal immigration into this country. Living here, Lincoln saw the hope, struggles, and contributions of immigrants, as his neighbors were retired veterans of the U.S. Army, most of them German and Irish immigrants. Lincoln was a pragmatic politician and a man of his era — one that grappled with race, color and rights. Yet he saw America’s economic future being built on immigrant labor, and its boundaries pushed by pioneering newcomers. Above all, he believed a commitment to liberty would create a bond between immigrants and their adopted homeland. He was determined to give them that chance. At President Lincoln’s Cottage, we continue Lincoln’s fight for freedom by promoting groundbreaking scholarship and by working with partners who are on the front lines of issues like slavery, immigration, and more. We celebrate progress through naturalization ceremonies for youth and adults. These ceremonies are special moments when new Americans join our nation, taking up the mantle of Lincoln’s unfinished work.
– President Lincoln's Cottage