Spielberg's Lincoln Simply a Myth

The Abraham Lincoln of popular perception is a mythological figure. He has little to do with the actual 16th president.

For example, a popular film depicts a fictionalized Lincoln as having been opposed to slavery virtually from the cradle. His Confederate enemies, on the other hand, were minions of Satan. The reality was not so.

The trailer for Steven Spielberg¹s Lincoln shows Sally Field as Mary Lincoln lecturing her husband that no other American has ever been so beloved as he. In reality, as that sister-in-law of a Confederate general and sister of other Confederate soldiers had reason to know, no American president has ever been as hated as Abraham Lincoln. His election led seven states to secede from the Union, after all, and four more withdrew after seeing his first few weeks¹ performance in office.

Read Full Article »


Comment
Show comments Hide Comments


Related Articles