In Search of History

Lincoln: The Untold Stories (2 Parts)

President Abraham Lincoln is one of the most revered presidents in American history. As with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln is immortalized in American history and culture as one of the most exceptional leaders in our past. Who was this enigmatic man? Lincoln's assassination ensured that he would be remembered as something greater than a mere mortal, but who was the man behind the icon? Scholars have recently rediscovered a collection of papers written by Lincoln's friend and law partner William Herndon. Herndon spent thirty years interviewing family, friends and colleagues of the president after his assassination. This episode of In Search of History explores Herndon's writings and the efforts of historians to bring the man behind the monuments to life. Lincoln: The Untold Stories would be useful for classes on American History, American Culture and Historical Methods. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES: Students will learn about Lincoln the man as well as Lincoln the legend. They will examine how he became larger than life and his role in American history. They will also explore historical methods such as oral history and archival sources.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS: Lincoln: The Untold Stories fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: Chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, historical issues-analysis and decision-making for Eras 4 and 5.

Discussion Questions

  1. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated only a few days after the end of the Civil War. Why did John Wilkes Booth kill the president? How did Lincoln's assassination reflect the turmoil of the Civil War?

  2. William Herndon spent thirty years interviewing contemporaries of Lincoln and writing them down. What was the relationship between these two men?

  3. Why did Herndon decide to document Lincoln's life? Why did he feel it was important for the world to know the real Lincoln, not just the image created by American collective memory?

  4. Abraham Lincoln is an almost mythic figure in American history, culture and memory. Why has he been so immortalized? How did he reach the status of an American symbol and icon?

  5. Herndon's papers reside in the Library of Congress. How and why did the Library of Congress obtain these papers.

  6. For decades historians have discounted the importance of the Herndon papers. Why?

  7. What is oral history? How do historians use oral history in their research? What are some of the pitfalls of oral history?

  8. How did historians Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis transcribe the work of Herndon?

  9. Discuss the limits of Lincoln's education. How did he overcome his lack of a formal education?

  10. Lincoln's mother died when he was a young boy. How did his mother's death affect him?

  11. Discuss the relationship between Lincoln and his father. How did this relationship influence his life? 17. Discuss the importance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates on Lincoln's career.

  12. Lincoln lived during an era in which slavery was legal in the United States. What were Lincoln's views on slavery? Why did he feel the way he did?

  13. Lincoln served in the Illinois Militia. What is a militia? What was the militia's role in American history, especially early American history?

  14. Lincoln was engaged to Ann Rutledge when she died. How did her death affect Lincoln?

  15. Before he became a Republican, Lincoln was a member of the Whig Party. Who were the Whigs? What was their party's platform?

  16. What was the Missouri Compromise? How did this compromise reveal the anxieties slavery caused?

  17. Discuss the importance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates on Lincoln's career.

  18. Why was Lincoln such a controversial choice for president in 1860?

  19. Discuss the conduct of Mary Todd Lincoln. How did her conduct affect her husband?

  20. What if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated? How do you think history would be different? How would Lincoln be remembered?
Extended Activities

  1. Create a timeline that illustrates the main events in Lincoln's life.

  2. Political cartoons are a time-honored way to express political thought. Create a political cartoon for either Abraham Lincoln's era or our present era.

  3. Design a campaign poster or button for Abraham Lincoln.

  4. Be a historian and use the oral history of your family. Interview your family members and use your information to create a history of your family.
Related Videos
Primary Sources
  • Follow this link (http://www.nara.gov/exhall/featured-document/eman/emanproc.html) to the National Archives and Records Administration's Online Exhibit Hall where you will find an image of the original Emancipation Proclamation as well as a transcript, an audio file of a fomrer slave discussing life after the proclamation and an article by noted historian John Hope Franklin.
  • Abraham Lincoln Online—http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln.html Abraham Lincoln Research Site—http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln2.html Abraham Lincoln: 16th President—http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project—http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/ (an excellent site containing terrific resources) Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library: A Cooperative Project from Library of Congress

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Classroom Materials