ERA 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Hollywood History, by Mark C. Carnes
Guiding Questions
What’s the danger in Hollywood making historical movies?
What has Hollywood done well with historical movies? Poorly?
What should be the focus in a movie about Lincoln and the 13th amendment? Is this the reality?
Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind
Teacher-to-Teacher
While this collection focuses primarily on Hollywood’s treatment of Lincoln, this is a great article that could lead to some discussion as well as possibly a project. Students can be assigned, or choose, historical movies to research the accuracy of and then present to the class. The primary documents cover the recent unveiling of Spielberg’s Lincoln and the controversy surrounding the accuracy of the movie. The second set of primary documents deal with the actual Congressional record concerning the 13th amendment. Students can use the new movie of Lincoln to research the accuracy of it using Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals.
Literature Connection: The Love of the Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Hollywood History (September 1995 | Volume: 46, Issue: 5) articles_ah
- Gettysburg Dedication Day Ceremony a Naturalization Ceremony & remarks from Steven Spielberg historical_documents
- Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin on Lincoln, The Movie and Man- Excerpt historical_documents
- Lincoln, Hollywood, and an Opportunity for Historians- Excerpt historical_documents
- Ahead of Oscars, Courtney asks Spielberg, DreamWorks to correct Lincoln inaccuracy that places Connecticut on wrong side of slavery debate historical_documents
- Joint Resolution Proposing a 13th Amendment to the Constitution historical_documents
- H.R.14 — 38th Congress (1863-1865) historical_documents
- S.123 - A Bill To abolish slavery throughout all the States and Territories of the United States. historical_documents
- Scene in the House on the passage of the proposition to amend the Constitution, January 31, 1865 historical_images
- Joint Resolution Submitting 13th Amendment to the States; signed by Abraham Lincoln and Congress Congress, Wednesday, February 01, 1865 historical_documents
- New York Daily Tribune, “Freedom Triumphant” historical_documents
- Emancipation by Thomas Nast historical_images