Eric Foner of Columbia University outlines the arguments Abraham Lincoln (and other Northerners) articulated in favor of free labor, as well as the arguments Southerners presented against free labor and in favor of a slave economy.
To listen to this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the Idea of Free Labor" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
James O. Horton of George Washington University discusses Abraham Lincoln's consideration of establishing African colonies as a solution to race tensions in the U.S. and African-American reactions to suggestions of the establishment of such colonies.
To listen to this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the African-American Colonization Movement" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
James O. Horton of George Washington University describes Abraham Lincoln's reaction to first viewing slavery in action on plantations, and discusses his changing views on slavery and what that ability to change says about him as a man and a president.
To view this clip, select to "Abraham Lincoln's Changing Attitude Towards Slavery" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
James O. Horton of George Washington University describes the Kansas-Nebraska Act and reactions to it, including the fear that the spread of slavery into the territories would take labor and land-owning opportunities away from free workers.
To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the Kansas-Nebraska Act" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
Julie Roy Jeffrey of Goucher College compares the lifestyle of Mary Todd Lincoln, accustomed to middle-class comfort and entertaining, to that of frontierswomen of the same time period.
To view this clip, select "Mary Todd Lincoln's Frontier Life" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
John Mack Faragher of Yale University describes the religious environment in central Illinois during Abraham Lincoln's lifetime, focusing on the importance of church involvement to communities.
To view this clip, select "Lincoln's Religious Beliefs" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
Michael Johnson of John Hopkins University discusses Lincoln's response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, including his personal animosity towards Stephen Douglas as a possible motivating factor.
To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
Michael Johnson of John Hopkins University discusses Lincoln's views on race, focusing on his favoring of colonization as a solution to race tensions.
To view this clip, select "Lincoln's Ideas About Race" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
Michael Johnson of John Hopkins University considers how Abraham Lincoln should be viewed as a historical figure, as a president, and as a man making difficult decisions.
To view this clip, select "Abraham Lincoln as Historical Figure" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
This project will serve the public schools of Queens, where nearly 50 percent of 8th-graders have failed the Intermediate Social Studies test and 25 percent of high school students have failed the U.S. History and Government Regents exam. Each year, the project teachers will attend eight 1-day workshops, in which professional historians examine how people have shaped events through interactions, collaborations and conflicts; the teachers will align this content with pedagogical skills and will receive classroom materials, books and history resources, with an emphasis on biographies. An annual 5-day summer institute will cover topics too large in scope to be addressed in a 1-day workshop and will feature field trips to New York City sites. The first cohort of 30 teachers will participate for the first two years, followed by a second cohort of 30 teachers over the next two years. During the fifth year, 30 teachers—selected from the two cohorts—will participate in eight full-day Master American History workshops. The project activities will show teachers how to align content with the New York State Core Curriculum in U.S. history by using strategies that students find engaging, such as curating museum exhibits, writing newspaper articles, role playing and oral history. The teachers also will learn to use media, library and museum collections, and maps; modify primary sources for different learning levels; plan effective field trips; differentiate learning for students with diverse needs and backgrounds; and find easily accessible resources. The teachers' lesson plans and materials will be disseminated through the project's Open Educational Resources Commons Web site.