Although “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 […]
21
Feb
13
How the “Lincoln” Movie Invented Its Lobbying Scenes
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, Recent News, Video1 comment
20
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 […]
1
Feb
12
Why is February 1st Designated as National Freedom Day?
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General OpinionFebruary 1 is National Freedom Day in the United States and has been since 1948. The question is why? The story begins with a bit of presidential trivia but then turns into a fascinating tale of an extraordinary citizen. It was on February 1, 1865 that President Abraham Lincoln signed a joint congressional resolution proposing […]
30
Jan
12
We Got Punked, Lincoln Forgery-Style
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Letters & Diaries, Recent NewsIt was bound to happen sooner or later. Last week, sadly, we discovered that there was a forged document in the House Divided research engine. David Gerleman from the Papers of Abraham Lincoln contacted us to point out that a letter supposedly written by Abraham Lincoln to Georgia politician (and future Confederate Vice President) Alexander […]
19
Feb
11
Recently From the Blogosphere
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Recent NewsNoted blogger (and teacher) Kevin Levin recently had a feisty post about Abraham Lincoln on the president’s 202 birthday that complained about a BBC plug for yet another a forthcoming Lincoln documentary. Quoting from the press materials –“150 years after the war his reputation is being re-assessed, as historians begin to uncover the dark side […]
19
Feb
11
Civil War Anniversary News Roundup –February 13-19, 2011
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Recent NewsNews coverage of the Civil War anniversary spiked this week as various groups commemorated 150 years since Jefferson Davis’s swearing-in as Provisional President of the Confederacy on February 18, 1861. USA Today offered a thoughtful overview of the tensions underlying the impending anniversaries in a piece entitled, “Across the South, the Civil War in an […]
16
Feb
11
Lincoln Meets Grace Bedell
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Letters & DiariesJust 150 years ago today on Saturday afternoon, February 16, 1861, President-Elect Abraham Lincoln met twelve-year-old Grace Bedell on a train platform in Westfield, New York. Showing off his new facial hair, he kissed the young girl and reportedly said, ““You see I have let these whiskers grow for you, Grace.” If you know this […]
16
Oct
10
Don’t Miss This Neo-Confederate Video!
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), General Opinion, VideoThere is a video on the YouTube channel of the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) that offers a classic teaching moment. The video, entitled “Sesquicentennial Celebration,” urges those about to honor the 150th anniversary of the “War for Southern Independence” to remember what the SCV claims the war was really about. […]
30
Aug
10
The Complicated Partisan Realities of 1860
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Antebellum (1840-1861), Historic PeriodicalsOne hundred and fifty years ago today, the Charles Town, Virgina (there wasn’t a West Virginia yet)Free Press commented on reports that the state’s Breckinridge Democrats had abandoned a plank from their “national” party platform by repudiating support for the Pacific Railroad. This one little piece of fewer than 200 words illustrates how complicated the […]
26
Jul
10
An Angry Father At Gettysburg
Posted by Matthew Pinsker Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic Periodicals, ImagesSam Wilkeson was a war correspondent for the New York Times who had sons in the Union army, including Lt. Bayard Wilkeson, an artillery officer who was mortally wounded on the first day at Gettysburg. The story of Bayard’s death became a northern sensation since he was one of the youngest artillery officers in the […]
