Vicki Niu Ms. Snyder 18 October 2013 P.

6 Review of Lincoln: Historical Accuracy The movie Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, does an impressive job of capturing the essence of what was occurring, politically and militarily, at the time of the Thirteen Amendments passage through the House. While there are certainly elements of the film which may not wholly pertain to the passage of the amendment, such as the depiction of President Lincolns strained relationship with Mary Todd and disagreements with son Robert over enlisting, the film largely sticks to a historically accurate plotline. There are slight discrepancies, such as the mistaken no vote from the Connecticut delegation and Representative Stevens directly addressing another congressman during debate. Lincoln nails the political situation, with the Lincoln administration targeting border state and lame duck Democrats to secure the vote on the Thirteenth Amendment, which Foner corroborates. The movie also weaves a compelling story, with the viewer becoming enthralled with lively House debates and the suspense of ending the Civil War. The movie additionally does a good job of portraying Lincolns sentiment in 1865, especially towards black Americans. While it certainly glosses over Lincolns unsavory political history, including his overt racism, opposition to abolitionism and proposition of a harsher enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law in DC, as per the Hofstadter reading, Lincoln does treat, while briefly, Lincolns uncertainty regarding full equality for blacks. Foner, however, does provide evidence for a change of heart in Lincoln regarding blacks, especially in his socially progressive Reconstruction policies enforced by the Bureau of Emancipation. It perhaps exaggerates in painting Lincolns adamancy on passing the Thirteenth Amendment as based in moral righteousness. While Lincoln does show disgust towards slavery, his opposition was originally based in his belief in wage labor and equality of opportunity for the common white man, as Hofstadter expresses. The largest failing of Lincoln is its narrow focus on the politics within Washington. While the process of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment is undoubtedly important, it neglects the role that black American such as Frederick Douglass and the Womens National Loyal League played in getting the abolition to the forefront of the union conscience and the Thirteenth Amendment to the floors of Congress. In doing so, Hofstadter has weaved a quite accurate and gripping historical narrative, which regrettably focuses altogether too much on the actions of white men and too little on the sacrifices of those behind the grassroots movement.