Lincoln gave this lecture on technological advances to various young men’s associations around Illinois. Lincoln reflects on the connection between technological and moral development, suggesting that improvements in the sciences must be paired with the “emancipation of thought” that allows society to use technology responsibly. The lecture traces the history of technological progress largely through discussions of key passages in the Old Testament, which Lincoln interprets for his audience to show the social consequences of inventions ranging from clothing to transportation to agriculture. The speech is especially concerned with how certain inventions, especially those that facilitate communication, make subsequent advances in technology possible. In the middle of the speech, Lincoln reflects briefly on the place of invention in American society, which he describes as having “a great passion — a perfect rage — for the ‘new.’” Though Lincoln later said he was not satisfied with this speech, he echoed similar sentiments in his Address to the Wisconsin Agricultural Society later that year.