ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos

Abraham Lincoln 26931 Views


Share It!


Description:

Honest Abe—what a nickname. Abraham Lincoln was the president who led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery. And he rocked that black top hat. Let's all give him a pat on the back.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:08

Abraham Lincoln, a la Shmoop: Wonder how long he had to pose for the penny.

00:14

You've probably heard people say that Abraham Lincoln is the greatest President in US history.

00:21

Lincoln freed many slaves, saved the Union... and could leap higher than the tallest building.

00:28

Actually that last one might have been Clark Kent.

00:32

But at least Lincoln had a super-hero style nickname: "Honest Abe."

00:36

And his likeness stares down at us from up on high on Mt. Rushmore...

00:40

as if he were a God surveying a universe of mere mortals.

00:44

Lincoln was a great President, sure...

00:46

But he was also a human being who hoped, despaired, loved, and bled just like the rest of us.

00:53

Sometimes when we study "great" historical figures it's easy to forget that they were

00:57

also just people... with weaknesses and worries like we have right now.

01:03

As that Shakespeare fellow once said,

01:06

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great,

01:08

some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

01:12

Before Lincoln became President, he suffered from bouts of extreme depression.

01:19

When he was suicidal, his friends would actually

01:21

lock him in a near-empty room for days so he couldn't hurt himself.

01:25

They didn't have psychiatric medication or any real treatment for depression in those days.

01:30

As a result, Lincoln struggled with mental illness his entire life.

01:34

However, despite his lifelong struggles,

01:36

Lincoln was intelligent, kind, brave... and a great President.

01:41

We elected him to lead our country during its most difficult time.

01:45

Doesn't it seem unlikely that somebody with serious mental illness in his or her past

01:50

would be elected President nowadays?

01:53

We research virtually every issue in a politician's past...

01:56

... and it seems like nobody who went through

01:58

much adversity makes the cut anymore.

02:02

Do you think Abraham Lincoln could ever get elected today?

02:07

If not, does that mean our system is too hyper-critical

02:10

of those who run for public office?

02:13

That we "analyze to death" small events in otherwise great lives,

02:18

blowing up those small events to mean.. more than they should?

02:24

What should we be willing to look past and forgive, and what is truly a red flag?

02:33

Shmoop amongst yourselves.

Up Next

Why Does the Constitution Still Work for Us?
5721 Views

Ever heard of a "living document"? They eat and breathe just like the rest of us! They even walk around on their own two legs. Okay, fine—maybe t...

Related Videos

The Puritans and the Division of Church and State
1280 Views

If the Puritans had gotten their way, religion would play a much larger role in lawmaking these days. Want to know more? Watch the video for all th...

Shays' Rebellion
6345 Views

What happened between the creation of the Articles of Confederation and the ratification of the current U.S. Constitution? This video analyzes the...

There's More Than One Way to Crack a Modernist Egg
539 Views

The Modernists thought the world had a lot of problems, and they were intent on fixing them—or at least talking about fixing them. Unfortunately,...

Federalism
2532 Views

This video explains Federalism and the quest for a fair balance between state and national power. It covers the progression and compromises of Fede...