The inauguration day, March 4th, 1861.

Newly sworn in President Abraham Lincoln assumes his place on the Speaker's platform.

Erected against the pillared backdrop of the U.S. capital, its iconic dome still

half completed.

Weather today?

Cool, cloudy, and agreeable.

Wearing a beard only three months old, Lincoln addresses the throngs before him, a sea of

dark coats and top hats stretching further than his voice can possibly be heard.

Nonetheless, Lincoln's urgent message will reach them and the nation at large.

Most importantly, the southern states now in the process of secession.

Lincoln is clear and precise.

It is his duty, he says, as president, to preserve the Union.

But the man who will one day be known as the great emancipator

declares he has no intention to threaten the Southern way of life,

so long as those Southern states do not violate the Constitution, only moments before he'd sworn

to protect. I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere

with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.

The game of chess is underway.

Next move is the Souths. Oh, Abraham Lincoln is everywhere in American life. On the penny, the $5 bill, he's branded on buildings, automobiles,

insurance companies, and children's toys. His speeches and letters are endlessly quoted. But why? Why does Lincoln consistently top the

tables for best U.S. President? What were his motivations and beliefs in public and

behind closed doors? In this three-part series, we talk with top experts

...