The place where Abraham Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech was the scene of a couple of other historic events – involving another future president – in the 21-st Century.
It was a cold, cold day in February 2007, when then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy. And it was a hot, hot day in August 2008, when he introduced running mate Joe Biden prior to the Democratic National Convention.
Helping dedicate a commemorative marker Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker says Obama is a phenomenon you can boil down to a four-letter word. “The past few years, the pandemic, financial, and health crises, and the rise of political extremism have taken a toll on us all,” said Pritzker. “But our resiliency and perseverance have been driven by the most American of values, and that’s hope. To me, this marker is a reminder that one of our favorite sons brought a message of hope that resonated to people all across the world.”
There are also commemorative plaques inside the Illinois House chamber, where Obama spoke during his final year in office.