Pritzkers donate Lincoln's Civil War order to Springfield museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum introduced a new item dating back to the Civil War on April 30.

Through a purchase by Gov. JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker, the document titled the “Order to Affix Seal of the United States to a Proclamation of a Blockade,” will now be visible to the viewing public.

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Ian Hunt, acquisitions director of the museum, said the document's roots are in the days following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter— effectively starting the Civil War.

Following much debate among his cabinet members, President Abraham Lincoln signed the document on April 19, 1861, to blockade the southern states from shipping its agricultural goods and importing weapons and machinery.

The blockade, known as the "Anaconda Plan," continued throughout the duration of the war and stretched originally from South Carolina to Texas before later adding secessionist states Virginia and North Carolina.

"While the blockade may not have the dramatic moments that other famous battles such as Gettysburg and Vicksburg, remember, it was no less," said Hunt during an official unveiling on Tuesday. "It denied the southern economy much needed revenue from the sale of agricultural exports, while simultaneously skyrocketing prices in the south on the limited materials that didn't make it."

The Pritzkers have purchased several items on the behalf of the museum over the years, previously spending $400,000 on a bust of the 16th president that was once on display at the Lincoln family home at Eighth and Jackson streets. Heritage Auctions listed the new document as sold for $471,000 in July 2023.

For the governor, the document still resonates today. His budget proposal includes $27.2 million for the museum in the upcoming fiscal year — up nearly 40% from fiscal year 2023.

“To me, this document – and the museum as a whole – serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come. Despite our divisions and challenges, more than 150 years later, our nation perseveres,” he said.

The document will be available to the public in the museum's Treasures Gallery until February 2025 before being transferred to the museum's vault.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Pritzkers donate Lincoln's Civil War order to Springfield museum