Lincoln’s Cooper Union Speech

Monday, February 27, 1860

A photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken before he delivered his speech at Cooper Union. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Although not one of his more quoted speeches, Abraham Lincoln's address at the Cooper Union in New York City is considered one of the most critical in his successful campaign for the presidency. Lincoln combines historical, legal, and moral justification for his views on slavery, stating that he opposes the expansion of slavery into new territories. The New-York Tribune, operated by Horace Greeley, celebrates the speech and gives Lincoln a much larger national profile.