WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has evoked Abraham Lincoln ever since launching his campaign at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill.
Now he plans to arrive in Washington the same way Lincoln did in 1861, with a train trip that will include stops, speeches and crowds along the way.
On Jan. 17, Obama and his family will start the day with an appearance in Philadelphia, where they will board a chartered Amtrak train. The train will stop in Wilmington, Del., where the Obamas will be joined by Vice President- elect Joe Biden. Then comes a stop in Baltimore before arrival that evening in Washington.
Lincoln had left his home in Springfield on Feb. 11, 1861, for a 12-day journey east to Washington, during which he made 101 speeches. Philadelphia and Baltimore were his last stops before the capital.
Obama’s plans, announced by his Presidential Inaugural Committee, set the tone for the many activities leading to the swearing-in at noon Jan. 20 at the Capitol. The official Washington events are scheduled to begin Jan. 18, most likely with a large-scale event on the Mall in which Obama makes an appearance.
Yale historian David Blight, who suggested last month that Obama retrace Lincoln’s inaugural train trip, said, “I think it’s a great idea. . . . I’m amazed they’re going to do it.”
He noted that American history is filled with images of presidential candidates speaking from the back of train cars.
