Eric Foner Interview: Abraham Lincoln & Understanding the Complexity of Slavery's End

Historian Eric Foner explains the importance of the four slave states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri) who did not secede from the Union during the Civil War. He discusses the evolution of Abraham Lincoln’s prejudices, the collective efforts to end slavery, racist laws like the Black Codes and other challenges of Reconstruction.

Eric Foner is a prominent American historian who was born and raised in New York City. He studied at Columbia University, the University of Oxford, and Oriel College and returned to Columbia for his PhD. Foner was the DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia, specializing in the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and 19th-century America. He is one of only two persons to serve as President of the Organization of American Historians, American Historical Association, and Society of American Historians. He has also been the curator of several museum exhibitions, including the prize-winning “A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln,” at the Chicago Historical Society. His book, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery won the Pulitzer, Bancroft, and Lincoln prizes for 2011. His latest book is Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. According to the Open Syllabus Project, Foner is the most frequently cited author on college syllabi for history courses.

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...

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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Introduction
02:34 - The border states
06:40 - Lincoln’s strategy for gradual emancipation
11:26 - Lincoln’s thoughts on colonization
16:48 - Lincoln and war powers
21:39 - The service of Black soldiers
24:24 - The evolution of Lincoln’s prejudices
26:31 - The Emancipation Proclamation
39:47 - The spread of factions, dissent and violence in the North
43:41 - The collective efforts to abolish slavery
49:48 - The Fort Pillow Massacre
52:18 - Perspectives on Black soldiers serving in the Union Army
55:56 - The capture of Atlanta
57:21 - Sherman’s March to the Sea
01:02:03 - Promising forty acres and a mule
01:03:44 - Lincoln’s visit to Richmond in 1865
01:06:12 - Reconstruction
01:08:33 - Racist laws and racial terror after the Civil War

Eric Foner, Historian
Interview Date: April 28, 2021
Interviewed by: Jackie Olive and Barak Goodman

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