Historian James McPherson says Abraham Lincoln was faced with division of opinion and of authority within his own presidential administration early on. He explains how Lincoln's whole life had been one of self-education, which he applied to his role as Commander in Chief. McPherson details how the three day Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the American Civil War.
James McPherson received his BA from Gustavus Adolphus College and his PhD from Johns Hopkins University. He is the George Henry Davis ’86 Professor of American History emeritus at Princeton University, where he has taught since 1962. McPherson’s works mostly focus on the American Civil War and Reconstruction, including Battle Cry of Freedom, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1989, and For Cause and Comrades, which won the Lincoln Prize in 1998. In addition to serving as president of the American Historical Association, he has been president of Protect Historic America and the Society of American Historians. In 2007, he was awarded the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for lifetime achievement in military history and was the first recipient of the prize. In 2007, he was awarded the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for lifetime achievement in military history given by the Society for Military History. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009. Also in 2009, he was the co-winner of the Lincoln Prize for Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief.
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.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Introduction
07:14 - Lincoln’s early days as Commander-in-Chief
10:19 - Mobilizing the Union Army
13:09 - The Anaconda Plan
16:15 - The Confederate capital of Richmond, VA
19:01 - The First Battle at Bull Run and Lincoln’s response
29:40 - George B. McClellan
33:56 - Lincoln as Commander in Chief
38:03 - The Peninsula Campaign and McClellan’s reluctance
51:11 - The Second Battle of Bull Run and McClellan's insubordination
56:56 - Lincoln’s path to emancipation proclamation
01:05:40 - The Battle of Antietam
01:14:55 - Robert E. Lee’s reasons for marching north before the Battle of Gettysburg
01:18:43 - Lincoln appoints Gordon Meade
01:20:43 - The Battle of Gettysburg
01:32:51 - The significance of Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg
01:36:05 - The Confederates’ safe retreat after Gettysburg
01:42:04 - Ulysses S. Grant & the Wilderness Campaign
01:50:00 - The end of the Civil War
01:51:33 - Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House
James McPherson, Historian
Interview Date: December 10, 2020
Interviewed by: Jackie Olive and Barak Goodman
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