Lincoln's Legacy
In Lincoln's Legacy, historian Lucy Worsley looks at a re-assessment of Lincoln's legacy. Although he helped free enslaved people, he always did what was in the best interests of his own race. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs With Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
Advisory: Contains discriminatory language.
Lucy Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history. Learn more.
Lesson Express
Q: Why did Frederick Douglass begin a reassessment of Lincoln’s memory?
A: Frederick Douglass began reassessing Lincoln’s memory because, over time, he came to recognize that Lincoln's views on race and slavery were more complex than he had originally believed. Initially, Douglass criticized Lincoln for not fully supporting immediate emancipation and racial equality. However, as the Civil War progressed, Lincoln’s policies evolved.
Q: Do you think Douglass’s argument was correct regarding Lincoln's interest in focusing on his own race?
A: Student responses will vary. Douglass’s argument that Lincoln initially focused on preserving the Union, rather than prioritizing racial equality, has some truth. In the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln did not openly advocate for full racial equality, as his primary focus was maintaining the Union and ending slavery as a means to preserve the nation
Q: Do you think that Lincoln believed in racial equality?
A: Student responses will vary. Lincoln’s views on racial equality were complicated and evolved over time. Early in his political career, Lincoln did not openly advocate for racial equality. He also supported the 13th Amendment. His actions didn’t fully endorse equality, yet he did support some causes.
You Might Also Like
In The History of the Lincoln Memorial, historian Lucy Worsley investigates how the Northern Union Forces defeated the Southern Confederates in the Civil War. She visits the Lincoln Memorial and learns that the 36 columns represent the 36 states that were in the Union after the war. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs With Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, learn how President Abraham Lincoln issued a bold declaration during the third year of the Civil War that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories were to be free. While limited in immediate effect, the proclamation allowed Black men to join the Union Army and became one of the greatest documents of human freedom in U.S. history.
In Abraham Lincoln, the Road to the Confederacy, and the Civil War , learn how growing sectional divisions over slavery and politics led southern states to secede from the Union. After Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, seven states left the Union before he even took office, forming the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as their president. Tensions erupted on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, officially beginning the Civil War.
After the Civil War, the South faced major economic and social changes as slavery came to an end. Reconstruction aimed to reunite the country and establish a new political and social order. During Presidential Reconstruction, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson favored relatively lenient policies toward the former Confederate states. Disagreements with congressional Republicans led to a more forceful approach beginning in 1867, known as Radical Reconstruction. During this period, constitutional amendments abolished slavery, established birthright citizenship, and prohibited denying voting rights on the basis of race.
African Americans gained political representation, and Southern state governments introduced significant reforms. By the 1870s, however, support for Reconstruction weakened as white Southern Democrats known as Redeemers regained control of state governments. The withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction and reduced federal enforcement of African Americans’ civil and political rights. Although Reconstruction brought important constitutional changes, its goals of securing lasting racial equality remained largely unrealized. The struggle for civil rights continued for generations and became a central focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
In The History of the Lincoln Memorial, historian Lucy Worsley investigates how the Northern Union Forces defeated the Southern Confederates in the Civil War. She visits the Lincoln Memorial and learns that the 36 columns represent the 36 states that were in the Union after the war. This video is excerpted from BBC's American History's Biggest Fibs With Lucy Worsley, in which Worsley reveals the myths and manipulations behind American history.
In Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, learn how President Abraham Lincoln issued a bold declaration during the third year of the Civil War that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories were to be free. While limited in immediate effect, the proclamation allowed Black men to join the Union Army and became one of the greatest documents of human freedom in U.S. history.
In Abraham Lincoln, the Road to the Confederacy, and the Civil War , learn how growing sectional divisions over slavery and politics led southern states to secede from the Union. After Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860, seven states left the Union before he even took office, forming the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as their president. Tensions erupted on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, officially beginning the Civil War.
After the Civil War, the South faced major economic and social changes as slavery came to an end. Reconstruction aimed to reunite the country and establish a new political and social order. During Presidential Reconstruction, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson favored relatively lenient policies toward the former Confederate states. Disagreements with congressional Republicans led to a more forceful approach beginning in 1867, known as Radical Reconstruction. During this period, constitutional amendments abolished slavery, established birthright citizenship, and prohibited denying voting rights on the basis of race.
African Americans gained political representation, and Southern state governments introduced significant reforms. By the 1870s, however, support for Reconstruction weakened as white Southern Democrats known as Redeemers regained control of state governments. The withdrawal of federal troops in 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction and reduced federal enforcement of African Americans’ civil and political rights. Although Reconstruction brought important constitutional changes, its goals of securing lasting racial equality remained largely unrealized. The struggle for civil rights continued for generations and became a central focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.