Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows the political aspects of the last four months of the American Civil War and Lincoln’s life as he strives to ratify the 13th amendment to the Constitution, which would bring an end to unlawful involuntary solitude and slavery in the United States. Abraham Lincoln is displayed from multiply angles, the husband whose career puts stress on the marriage, the father who cares for his son as best as he can, the strong and charismatic speaker who works to persuade congressmen for votes for the amendment, and the stressed President working to make the best decisions for the war. Lincoln, the historical drama, was greatly focused on Lincoln as a person and his struggle with the Civil War. However, the film displayed great accuracy of the struggle to abolish slavery with the 13th amendment and showed the division between political parties. Therefore, Lincoln is a highly valuable source for the topic of the Civil War.
Lincoln focuses greatly on Abraham Lincoln’s tremendous leadership in the final four months of his Presidency. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln centers on the President’s final lobbying push in early 1865 to pass the 13th Amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives, which it depicts dramatically but more-or-less accurately.
“Lincoln said during the Civil War that he had always seen slavery as unjust. He said he couldn’t remember when he didn’t think that way — and there’s no reason to doubt the accuracy or sincerity of that statement,” (Itzkovitz).
The 13th Amendment’s path to ratification began in April 1864, when the U.S. Senate passed it by the required two-thirds majority vote. However, the amendment hit a roadblock in the House of Representatives, where it faced opposition by a large number of Democrats who felt that the abolishment of slavery by the federal government would be a violation of the rights and powers reserved to the states. Lincoln greatly portrayed the struggle Abraham Lincoln endured in his Presidency as he worked to ratify the 13th amendment. Since his election took place during the Civil War, it was not contested in the states that had seceded from the Union. By the time Congress regrouped in December of 1864, Republicans, empowered by Lincoln’s landslide victory, made a big push to pass the proposed 13th Amendment. Lincoln himself personally lobbied Union-loyal Border State Democrats to change their “nay” votes to “ya.” Lincoln is a visual source that allows one to witness the drama that took place during the Civil War.
The movie is a great source for the Civil War; however, Lincoln is heavily focused on the President and all that happens surrounding the last four months of his term. Therefore, there is a lack of focus on the other perspectives of those involved in the Civil War. In the movie devoted to explaining the abolition of slavery in the United States, African-American characters do almost nothing but passively wait for white men to free them. For about 30 years, historians have been demonstrating that slaves were crucial spokesmen in their emancipation. Yet In Spielberg’s Lincoln, A frican Americans as displayed as only servants, patiently waiting for the day of freedom. Lincoln helps extend the idea that African Americans have offered little of substance to their own freedom. The film mostly avoids the typical stereotypes of African-Americans, but it does reinforce the outdated assumption that white men are the primary pioneers of history and the main sources of progress. The film focuses to heavily on the perspective of Lincoln, there is a lack of other views that make up the controversial Civil War.
Lincoln is a strong source for the Civil War as it shows the division of the political parties during his Presidency, which played a great role in the war. The movie displays the struggle between the Democrats and the Republicans. Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, was strongly for abolishing slavery, which upset the Democrats who never wanted him in office.
“Democrats [also] saw Republican economic policies – favoring Northern industry, giving generous pensions to Union veterans – as damaging the South” (Rostker).
While the Civil War took place, Democrats and Republicans endured many arguments on the Congressional floor as the two parties were divided on whether to abolish slavery or not. Lincoln worked tirelessly to sway democrats, and in the end he got enough votes. The movie shows just how stressful and intense the time was during the Civil War.
While Lincoln is a drama, which intensifies the situation President Lincoln underwent during the last four months of his term, it is still a great source for the Civil War as it displays the political situation of the time. The war was between the North and South, and both the Democratic and Republican parties were depicted in the movie to show how both sides felt while war took place. There were fights in Congress, and showed other sides to Lincoln, as well as depicted several dead bodies from the aftermath of the war. Lincoln is a great source to visualize the drama that took place leading up to the end of the war.