'I saw the stars falling’ – An Abe Lincoln astronomy story

 

"When I was a young man in Illinois, I boarded for a time with a deacon of the Presbyterian Church."

With that opening, Abraham Lincoln began a story for a delegation of nervous bank presidents who had come to see the new president. Seven states had abandoned the Union, and more were to follow. The financiers wanted to know if all was lost or if Lincoln had confidence that the country could be saved.

Without saying yes or no, the President told them about the night in New Salem, Illinois when the stars fell out of heaven.

"One night I was roused from my sleep by a rap at the door, and I heard the deacon’s voice exclaiming, “Arise Abraham, the day of judgment has come.” I sprang from my bed and rushed to the window and saw the stars falling in great showers."

Many of the startled townsfolk assumed their village was on fire as thousands of meteors blazed through the dark sky and made flickering shadows in pre-dawn cabins. Churches quickly filled up, as many – like the Presbyterian deacon – thought Judgement Day had arrived. [*]

What Lincoln, his fellow New Salemites, and much of the rest of the young nation witnessed that early November morning was one of the most phenomenal astronomical events ever – the Leonid meteor storm of 1833 when thousands of meteors PER SECOND streaked through the Earth’s atmosphere. [2]

But even in his early years, Abraham Lincoln was not a man who rushed to conclusions. Despite the frightening display above, he sought evidence.

". . . but looking back of them [the falling meteors] in the heavens, I saw the grand old constellations with which I was so well acquainted, fixed and true in their places." [1]

“Gentlemen,” Lincoln said in conclusion, “the world did not come to an end then, nor will the Union now.”

Even in the heavens, Lincoln could find a story for a point he wanted to make. We’re blessed he was our president when the nation – like the sky that night – fell apart.

This is another anecdote from Abe Lincoln, Storyteller.

Mac

Works Cited

[*] Some historians believe the 1833 Leonid Meteor Storm may have even played a factor in sparking many of the religious fundamentalist movements of the mid-1830s.

[**] The image that heads this post is the most famous depiction of the 1833 Leonids - an 1889 illustration by Adolf Vollmy for the Adventist book: Bible Readings for the Home Circle. Retrieved May 9, 2022.

[1] Talcott, Richard. “Lincoln and the Cosmos.” Astronomy – July 14, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2022.

[2] Pijanowski, Gregory. “The Great Meteor Storm of 1833”. The Pigeon Roost – April 4, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2022.