This essay examines the labor, passion, and precarity of freelance historical performers—independent contractors who portray figures such as Abraham Lincoln or Harriet Tubman for schools, libraries, and civic groups. Drawing on oral histories and fieldwork at an Abraham Lincoln Presenters’ Conference, it explores how these “presenters” navigate purpose, instability, and inequity within the cultural freelance economy. Their experiences reveal how freelance historical performance constitutes real public history labor deserving recognition, equity, and professional solidarity.
