One of the several critical strands in the “Lincoln” movie concerns the controversy surrounding the Hampton Roads peace talks (February 3, 1865), where President Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward met with Confederate envoys Alexander Stephens, John Campbell and Robert M.T. Hunter for secret discussions about how to end the war on board the River Queen in […]
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Feb
13
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24
Feb
13
15 Examples of Fiction in “Lincoln” Movie Climax
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, Recent News, VideoAccording to the “Lincoln” movie script, Friday, January 27, 1865 was an action-packed and pivotal day. It was the day of Thaddeus Stevens’s controlled performance in the House, declaring himself strictly for “equality before the law.” It was also the day marked by Abraham Lincoln’s bitter argument with his oldest son Robert and then his […]
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Feb
13
Did Abraham Lincoln Really Slap His Son?
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, Recent News, VideoNo single film could ever hope to capture the range of historical interpretations that have been offered to explain the complicated Lincoln family dynamics. Some historians consider the marriage between Abraham and Mary Lincoln to have been “a fountain of misery.” Others see longstanding affection and partnership. Some find Lincoln to have been essentially an […]
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Feb
13
In the scene in Spielberg’s “Lincoln” which introduces the audience to Rep. Thaddeus Stevens (R, PA), the chairman of the House Committee of Ways and Means, the script describes the setting in Stevens’ Capitol Hill office as “redolent of politics, ideology (a bust of Robespierre, a print of Tom Paine), long occupancy and hard work” […]
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Feb
13
How the “Lincoln” Movie Invented Its Lobbying Scenes
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, Recent News, VideoAlthough “Lincoln” is a serious movie with a high moral purpose, there is still a great deal of comic relief provided mostly by an amusing trio of corrupt lobbyists. What students might find confusing about these figures, however, is that despite the fact that they were “real” men, the movie either totally invents or sometimes […]
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Feb
13
Art Versus History in the Lincoln Movie Opening
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, Recent News, VideoThe main narrative of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” movie opens with a dream that Abraham Lincoln describes to Mary Lincoln in early January 1865. This is historical in nature, but not true in every respect. The story of Lincoln’s dream derives not from Mary Lincoln’s papers, but rather from an account that appears in the diary […]
