In 1853, Abraham Lincoln supposedly wrote to Italian physicist Macedonio Melloni supporting what would later become Benito Mussolini's imperial agenda for the Mediterranean and Balkans. The uncharacteristically florid and even prophetic letter from the Springfield attorney next fell into the hands of Italian Risorgimento hero Giuseppe Mazzini, who was so “moved to tears” upon reading it that he decided to translate the text into Italian (Il Popolo d'Italia1920). For unknown reasons, the letter then became a hidden treasure of Melloni's extended family until Mussolini reprinted the full translation in his newspaper Il Popolo d'Italia, on April 2, 1920 (Il Popolo d'Italia 1920; Tamblé 2016, 436).
The letter was, of course, a forgery, but despite early accusations of inauthenticity, it succeeded in raising Il Popolo's profile and stature throughout Italy. Historian Gaetano Salvemini explained the letter's most obvious mistake to Italy's Chamber of Deputies months...
