Jason Emerson is an award-winning Lincoln scholar and general historian. He is the author or editor of eight books and nearly fifty articles. He has appeared as a historical expert on multiple television and radio shows and podcasts, and has lectured around the country from the Library of Congress to the Florida State Book Fair to the Lincoln Shrine in Redlands, California, and everywhere in between.
Jason is currently compiling the collected letters of Mary Lincoln. If you know of any original Mary Lincoln manuscripts that are unpublished or otherwise unknown, please contact me.
Posts of Interest
“Harry Houdini Debunked Claims of Abraham Lincoln’s Spiritualism”
Read Jason’s latest article about Abraham Lincoln, Harry Houdini, and Spiritualism in the new issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
American History Gazette podcast interview
“The Untold Story of the Lincoln Family,” interview with Jake Suggs
Listen to Jason’s short story, “The Lonesome Post Oak” — a ghost story based on historical facts centered around an incident from the early life of Abraham Lincoln — on the NoSleep Podcast, a horror fiction podcast in which actors perform short works.
“This Civil War–Era Eagle Sculpture Was Made Out of Abraham Lincoln’s Hair”
Read Jason’s article about this amazing historical artifact, published on Smithsonian magazine online.
“The original Lincoln memorial stands forgotten in D.C.’s Judiciary Square”
Read Jason’s article about the first Lincoln statue ever erected, published in the Washington Post.
“This Man was the Only Eyewitness to the Deaths of Both Lincoln and Garfield”
Almon F. Rockwell’s newly resurfaced journals offer an incisive account of the assassinated presidents’ final moments. Read Jason’s article on Smithsonian magazine online.
Recent publications
Article: “Harry Houdini Debunked Claims of Abraham Lincoln’s Spiritualism,” Skeptical Inquirer magazine, March/April 2025
Article: “Visiting the Military Hospitals: The ‘Indefatigable’ Mrs. Lincoln,” For the People: The Newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 26, no. 4 (Winter 2024): 4.
Book review: Getting Right with Lincoln and Lincoln Illuminated and Remembered, Lincoln Lore, No. 1943 (Fall 2024): 11.
Upcoming Publications
Article: “The Son of the Great Emancipator: Robert Todd Lincoln and African Americans,” Lincoln Lore, spring 2025
Article: “Mary Lincoln and Sons Visit the White Mountains,” Historical New Hampshire magazine, 2025
Send Jason an email at jsnemerson@gmail.com
www.jasonemersonhistorian.com 