Electing Lincoln
By Joly Herman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Historical series focuses on tension between U.S. regions.
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Electing Lincoln
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What's the Story?
ELECTING LINCOLN looks at the years preceding Lincoln's election and the tension that exploded into the Civil War. Before the Civil War, guerrilla style fighting broke out among residents of Missouri and the Kansas Territory, as slave owners wanted to push westward, and the abolitionists tried to stop them. This battle of the territories reflected the two clashing ideologies of the time. Abraham Lincoln knew that he had to run a careful presidential campaign in order to win votes from both Republicans and Democrats. While the tensions between North and South began to boil, this leader sought to keep the States together. How much has really changed? And what can we learn from the past?
Is It Any Good?
Regional and ideological tension are explored in vignette form in this series. Electing Lincoln takes a look at facts that may have been left out of textbooks, though because of 19th century newspaper bias, the facts are tough to uncover. This series uses the reenactment style of storytelling along with the narrative of several historians to probe the stories behind the legends, and it's good viewing.
Teens who are studying U.S. History in school might enjoy seeing some of the thought-provoking issues brought to life. Adults will be intrigued by the links between the election violence that played out in the 19th century and the election violence that exploded in the 21st century. It's a connection worth understanding; this series takes a swing at exploring these important questions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the news in Electing Lincoln. Newspapers transmitted news in Lincoln's time, and they often told one side of the story. What's bias in the news like now?
There is a brutal side to the history of the United States. How can watching a series like this help you to understand the issues of today?
Some history books only tell the story from the dominant culture's perspective. What voices do you hear in this series? Which voices aren't represented?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 1, 2021
- Network: Max
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Activism , History
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: October 5, 2021
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