Abraham Lincoln visit to Jerusalem in 1867

In the movie Lincoln it was mentioned that Lincoln wanted to visit Jerusalem together with his wife. If Lincoln hadn't been killed and had been able to travel to Jerusalem. How would the Us press have covered such a visit?
 
Given the slowness of travel and the likely level of crisis in the South I cannot imagine a serving President going abroad in the 1860s
 
Given the slowness of travel and the likely level of crisis in the South I cannot imagine a serving President going abroad in the 1860s

Yeah, Abe's not leaving the country anytime prior to 1869. (That said, he could there's little reason he coukdn't do a trip in the western states and territories as President -- though that's really another matter.)
 
I believe Wilson was the first president to travel outside the US while in office. Without a particularly good reason I don't see a 19th century US president traveling abroad.

When Grant left office he did travel abroad, his trip to Japan was covered to a degree by the newspapers.
 
When Grant left office he did travel abroad, his trip to Japan was covered to a degree by the newspapers.

A good point. I would see Lincoln and his family traveling only once he left office in 1869. At that point some newspapers might send along a reporter or two, but not much else.

Of course for fun's sake we could just go completely off the wall and contemplate his being named U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. :p
 
A good point. I would see Lincoln and his family traveling only once he left office in 1869. At that point some newspapers might send along a reporter or two, but not much else.

One of the reporters could be Mark Twain. :eek:
I think those two would really hit it off.
 
One of the reporters could be Mark Twain. :eek:
I think those two would really hit it off.

That could be rather interesting.

I have to wonder, suppose Mr. Lincoln travels to Jerusalem and decides it wasn't the only place he wanted to see? He starts traveling all over the world because, now that he's no longer President, why not?
 
That could be rather interesting.

I have to wonder, suppose Mr. Lincoln travels to Jerusalem and decides it wasn't the only place he wanted to see? He starts traveling all over the world because, now that he's no longer President, why not?

He may not travel all over the world, but any famous American traveling to Jerusalem would hit a number of European stops along the way. London, Paris, Rome, that kind of thing.
 
He may not travel all over the world, but any famous American traveling to Jerusalem would hit a number of European stops along the way. London, Paris, Rome, that kind of thing.


What would the reaction to him in Europe be?

I can imagine that there would be some people in Britain at least that would like to dine with him.

Obviously he's out of office but he's still a former head of state and a very notable figure so he still might be obliged to do some things with the US ambassador for a while.
 
Isn't he a little busy? Isn't the trip lengthy and dangerous?

I doubt this would happen and if it did I presume the press reaction in the north would be 'why aren't you concentrating on what we specifically elected you to do' and in the south 'president flees in fear'
 
What would the reaction to him in Europe be?

I can imagine that there would be some people in Britain at least that would like to dine with him.

Obviously he's out of office but he's still a former head of state and a very notable figure so he still might be obliged to do some things with the US ambassador for a while.

He would be a mad celebrity. War winner, freer of the slaves, darling of the liberal nationalists, focus of a distinctly American man-of-the-prairies homespun mythology--it would be a sensation. You'd have a bunch of scribblers dashing out poetry and composing operettas and stuff like that. Mary would eat it up.

I wish I had the chops to do Mark Twain writing about his tour with Lincoln. That would be the tops.
 
If he lives long enough, he could make the trip as a former president.

The general consensus here seems to be that this is how it would have to happen. The tenuous state of things in America means he won't have time to make the trip while serving as President, simple as that.
 
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