Unit 2: The Greater the Power... (1G1_gr1)

Lincoln, the Great Emancipator?

The two documents under study are, for the first one, a trailer for the movie “Lincoln”, released in 2012; the second document is an extract from an article published in the “Emancipator” in 2022.

In the trailer, President Lincoln is portrayed as a wise, thoughtful and right man who believed in peace and racial equality. He is depicted as the hero who united America and the one who abolished slavery by himself.

In the article, he is portrayed in a more nuanced way, indeed, we learn that he was not an abolitionist. He did not believe in racial equality. He even supported pro-slavery measures such as the Fugitive Slave Law.

When we compare the two documents, we can say that the trailer gives us an idealized hero version of Lincoln. Indeed, he is depicted as a man with a moral vision to bring freedom and save the country from slavery. As opposed to the portrayal of Lincoln in the text that is more realistic and nuanced than the film. In fact, the text he is described as a more complex politician who had to compromise and to listen to Black leaders and activists who eventually pushed him to end slavery.

To conclude, Lincoln can now be remembered in two ways: first as a legend (the myth), the storytelling is more patriotic.

Secondly, he can be seen as a more controversial politician portrayed as a man with his qualities and downsides.

TV shows and films are too bias in the way they represent politics and politicians. Instead of showing the good and bad aspects of Lincoln’s career, they just focused to the greatness of his legacy. Therefore, the audience should know that these types of materials are not reliable sources to learn about historical fact. They are more for entertainment.

Homework: Learn the lesson.