Loewen Chapter #6

In Chapter Six of Loewen's book he wrote on a few civil war controversies that historians still debate today. The tone of this chapter mirrors the introduction on his controversies surrounding Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson. He also continues his three chapter rant about racial issues and slavery. In chapter six discusses the controversies around two famous civil war heroes, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. His argument follows his theme of the rest of the book with what textbooks chose to put in the chapters rather than the whole truth. I have agreed with most of his topics that have been left out of textbooks but I do not agree with his statements about anti-racism topics, laws or movements are not included in most textbooks. I have actually spent a great deal of time in all of my history courses discussing these topics, the Civil Rights Movement especially. Though these topics may have been off-the record topics, much was discussed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, because it discusses my favorite president, Abraham Lincoln. Whenever I mention the little fact that he's my favorite, I do get looks and lots of questions. Most individuals that make the point that he was a racist and actually wanted slavery to work.  I always state my case the same, he is my favorite because of his leadership. Unlike today where there are many instances of  political ideologies taking precedent over making the right decision, Lincoln put his moral feelings or ideology of slavery behind him, to do what was best for the majority, preserve the union. Loewen also discusses the Greeley letter and how that it is rarely never published in textbooks, disregarding some of the truth further.

The big question I have for the class and for our futures' in teaching, is how to introduce such an influential subject?

On the topic of Lincoln, where I first began to study and understand him as a leader was from the Lincoln- Douglas debates. I am from the city that was host to the second Lincoln-Douglas debate, Freeport, IL,  and I have grown up with more knowledge on that subject that I will ever need! Below to the left is nationally renowned Abraham Lincoln impersonator George Buss a community hero and to the  right my high school speech teacher and nationally renowned Stephen Douglas impersonator, Tim Connors. I grew up watching them speak to the public and I learned much more from these verbal lessons, than I ever would from a textbook.

Lincoln-Douglas Reenactment