French students have some questions

[Eva Elisabeth]

(02-02-2014 10:07 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  As you may know through your history lessons and research, Lincoln and the CW united the French liberals and republicans who opposed the empire and Napoleon II in favor of popular democracy. In celebrating Lincoln, they could criticize the emperor safely, without censorship. After the assassination, Victor Hugo and other republicans colleceted ten centimes from 40,000 donors (despite Napoleon's attempts to stop this effort) and created a gold medallion for Mary Lincoln on which they had engraved: "If France had the freedom enjoyed by republican America, not thousands but millions among us would have been counted as admirers."

I found these photos of the medal:
       
This bronze medal was struck from the original dies used to make the gold medal presented to Mary Todd Lincoln in 1866.

It features a profile of Lincoln in relief on the front. "Dedie par la democratie francaise a Lincoln president deux fois elu des etats-unis" is embossed around the portrait, in English: "Dedicated by the French Democracy. Twice elected President of the United States."

The reverse features a tombstone inscribed: "Lincoln, honest man, abolished slavery, reestablished the Union and saved the Republic, without veiling the Statue of Liberty. He was assassinated the 14th of April, 1865." Below is the French revolutionary slogan: "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity." On one side, a mourning angle rests upon a sword and drapes a wreath over the tombstone; on the other side, two emancipated slaves, a young boy and a man, offer a palm branch and point to an eagle. A ship and train are depicted in the background.

Some additional info: The public subscription that had been taken up to create and present this medal to Mary had become known as the "two sous subscription" because all contributions were limited to two sous (=10 centimes) to broaden public participation, and within six month over 40,000 people did. Due to government harassment the medal had to be struck in Geneva, Switzerland.

When French writer and journalist Eugène Pelletan presented the medal to the American Ambassador to France, John Bigelow, in a purple velvet box, he said: "Tell Mrs. Lincoln that in this little box is the heart of France".

Mary Lincoln later presented her medal to the Library of Congress.

Just thought I'd share...(maybe for the next French school project).