Teaching the Legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the Declaration of Independence

About the Presenters

Dr. Matthew Pinsker holds the Brian Pohanka Chair of Civil War History at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and serves as Director of the House Divided Project, an innovative effort to build digital resources on the Civil War era. Dr. Pinsker has held visiting fellowships at New America Foundation, U.S. Army War College, and the National Constitution Center. He graduated from Harvard and received a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Dr. Pinsker is the author of Lincoln’s Sanctuary (Oxford University Press, 2003). His next book is from W.W. Norton—Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln (2025). He manages multiple digital projects on the Underground Railroad for the National Park Service Network to Freedom. Dr. Pinsker has also led numerous K-12 teacher training workshops for organizations such as the NEH and the Gilder Lehrman Institute. He serves on the scholarly board of advisors for the Ford’s Theatre Society.

Karalee Wong Nakatsuka has taught middle school U.S. history since 1990. She harnesses technology to engage students, build classroom community, and help students see themselves in America’s story. She cultivates empathetic and informed critical thinkers who make a difference in the world. Ford’s Theatre Society honored Karalee at their 2023 Annual GALA Teacher Tribute, inviting her to the White House where she met President Biden. The California Council for the Social Studies named her 2023 Middle School Social Studies Teacher of the Year. She won the 2019 Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year for California and became a top 10 national finalist. She actively serves on iCivics Educator Network, America250 Civic, History, and America’s Future Advisory Council, and Gilder Lehrman Teacher Advisory Council. The New York Times and Time Magazine have featured her in their publications. She is the co-author of Bring History and Civics to Life, published by ISTE.

Jake Flack, Deputy Director of Education at Ford’s Theatre, oversees the student visit program with a special focus on District of Columbia Public School students and teachers. Additionally, he oversees the summer professional development programs, Civil War Washington, and The Seat of War and Peace, which brings teachers from around the country to Washington to learn about Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Prior to joining Ford’s in 2008, Jake taught U.S. history for five years in the New Orleans Public Schools.