Historian Edna Greene Medford discusses family separation among enslaved people, Abraham Lincoln’s difficult childhood and his southern roots. Medford examines the Emancipation Proclamation’s impact and its promise of freedom. Edna Greene Medford was educated at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Virginia, the University of Illinois Urbana, and the University of Maryland College Park, where she received her PhD in United States history. She is currently a professor in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University where she has also served as chair of the Department. Specializing in nineteenth-century African-American history, she teaches courses in the Jacksonian Era, Civil War and Reconstruction, and African-American History to 1877. Medford has served as the Director for History of New York’s African Burial Ground Project and edited the volume Historical Perspectives of the African Burial Ground: New York Blacks and the Diaspora. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on African Americans, especially during the era of the Civil War. Her books include Lincoln and Emancipation (2015). She was the 2009 special bicentennial recipient of the Order of Lincoln, an award given by the state of Illinois, for her scholarship on the president. The Apple TV+ series "Lincoln's Dilemma," features insights from journalists, educators and scholars, as well as rare archival materials, that offer a more nuanced look into the life of the Great Emancipator. Set against the background of the Civil War, "Lincoln's Dilemma" also gives voice to the narratives of enslaved people, shaping a more complete view of an America divided over issues including economy, race and humanity, and underscoring Lincoln's battle to save the country, no matter the cost. The series is narrated by award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright ("Angels in America") and features the voices of actor Bill Camp ("The Night Of") as Lincoln and Leslie Odom Jr. ("Hamilton") as Frederick Douglas. To view the entire series please visit: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/lincolns-dilemma/umc.cmc.7003fizrrxznfhz1s20vv7ewy Subscribe for access to interviews, series, films, and educational materials that address issues of social justice, history, politics, the arts, and culture by spotlighting relatable human stories of purpose and meaning. Learn about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For extended versions of these interviews and more, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@lifestoriesinterviewarchive Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifestoriesinterviews/ Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Introduction 00:09 - Economics of slavery and its rationalization 05:20 - The experience of being enslaved 12:48 - Family separation 16:21 - Enslaver trade journals 19:51 - Black political action 23:10 - Lincoln beliefs, family ties, and personal background 27:41 - Lincoln’s plans for emancipation 32:59 - Lincoln and colonization 37:36 - The abolitionist movement 41:19 - Frederick Douglass and his relationship to Lincoln 44:26 - The Dred Scott decision 47:01 - The Fugitive Slave Act 49:43 - The question of slavery’s expansion 54:22 - The Kansas-Nebraska Act 56:26 - The cause of Secession 59:03 - Securing the border states 01:00:42 - Lincoln’s primary goal of unification 01:07:14 - The confederacy and slavery 01:11:48 - Union “contraband” policy 01:19:01 - The Emancipation Proclamation and its impact 01:29:07 - Frederick Douglass’ meetings with Lincoln 01:35:50 - Harriet Tubman 01:38:09 - Elizabeth Keckley 01:40:45 - Lincoln’s complexity 01:51:45 - Freedom vs. equality 01:58:12 - Citizenship 02:03:55 - The Fort Pillow Massacre 02:09:22 - The 1864 election 02:17:44 - Lincoln’s second inaugural address 02:20:35 - Lincoln and defining freedom 02:28:42 - The 13th Amendment 02:43:18 - The role of Confederacy and if the South had won the war 02:49:46 - Lincoln’s Assassination 02:51:42 - Frederick Douglass’ changing views of Lincoln 02:58:53 - What Reconstruction may have looked like under Lincoln 03:03:18 - Reevaluating and remembering Lincoln 03:09:38 - The art of Edmonia Lewis Edna Greene Medford, Historian, Howard University Interview Date: December 1, 2020 Interviewed by: Jackie Olive and Barak Goodman © Apple Video Programming, LLC. All Rights Reserved. #EdnaGreeneMedford #kunhardtfilmfoundation
|
