Sandburg is born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1878, twenty years after one of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas's debates is staged in the town.

At the time of Sandburg's birth, persons who knew and served with Lincoln still live in the area, and the country is still recovering from the Civil War. Galesburg is a young community, predominantly Republican and recently settled by immigrants, including many from Sweden.

The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroads link the city to the rest of the nation. Although its population is only fifteen thousand, Galesburg boasts three colleges and is nicknamed "the Athens of the Midwest."