Television because black and white. A con cue period but not modern. Anything even in the 1990s might offend southern advertisers. That was the idea. In some ways i think television is a medium that responds so commercially and waits for, you know, like something happens in film and then five to ten years later it becomes okay. Im thinking of this, ive been oust the country for almost ten years and i notice it in the language on television what is now acceptable. Wait. They can see that on tv . That kind of thing. On the other hand it used to be to get anything made with black characters historically as the prominent characters, the center piece, had to be done on television. Thinking about maia angelos the caged bird singing. Not a feature film. Back in the 80s i guess tv was a backup where you could afford to do things like that. Roots of course. The last, i guess, the last episode of the first series of roots still had more viewership than any other mini series period in u. S. Telev
Amistad and the moment in the film where, which is certainly taken from the case. They throw them over board. The slaves are shackled and thrown overboard is one of the most visually powerful, arresting scenes. When i went to the International Museum of slavery in liverpool they had their own version of that so it is something that we deal in words and powerfully in telling stories but its something that we now in the 21st century back to media have to grapple with. Whos going to look at it . How is it going to feel . I think we have to bring our students and public to understand stories can be told in many different dimensions and i think the power of some of these scenes maybe we can deal with clips rather than the full film and deal with the powerful medium of historical film as something that can bring slavery to a modern audience. That seems like an excellent place to conclude. Thank you all so much for coming and thank you very much to our panelists for their very thoughtful and
Location and at the very end she says, tara, home, i will go home. Right . So thats going to fix it. Thats an incredibly powerful sense. I think this adds an element that these people werent fighting so they could keep people in subjugation. This is where they grew up and had a right to fight for their homes. It makes them feel more look crusaders rather than the version that they wanted black people to keep working for them so they could keep sipping their tea. What are some of the other ways that we see the time period affecting this particular version of history . So paige points out when the premier emerges, theres actually actual kinds of confederate flags and veterans show up at the premier, right . It is very explicitly about a celebration of the confederacy and of confederate heritage, right . Theres no question that thats part of it. Both hannah and germ jeremy ta about the portrayal of the north in this. How much do you think this fits into its being made at the time period t
The british. On the other side unionists will say George Washington in his farewell address said the price the union of any allegiance. Actually robert e. Lee is reading a biography of George Washington in the months before the civil war and he is hearing these arguments and he concludes that he basically agrees with the unionist position. He believes George Washington would have opposed secession. So what else does lee say to Francis Blair . He says he would would gladly washes hands of slavery. He would gladly get rid of all slavery if it would avoid war rate but then he says how can i raise my sword against my native state . Here the blair family position says lee hesitated that is lee told the story he gave the answer once, no biggie turned down the command though he did not turn his commission to the army surfer more than three decades. He returns to arlington house. He soon learns that virginia in fact has voted to secede from the union and there on april 20 the writes a letter r
Assistant to president george bush graduate of yale university. [applause] thank you so much for that love and lovely introduction judy. As you mention i used to work as a president ial speechwriter before i started writing this book so you can imagine my shock when i learned that the subject of my new book didnt much care for my old occupation. In fact robert e. Lee was so offended when he heard George Washington might have used a ghostwriter to pen his famous farewell address that he refused to believe it. He said anyone who says George Washington used a ghostwriter was quote injudicious. So if ive learned nothing else from writing his biography its that i should say a little bit less about my own biography. Im so pleased to be at this Beautiful House and im so grateful to the Historical Society for inviting me today. I had a chance to go over to see the Historical Society earlier today and it is such a wonderful facility and im so happy to see it expanding. Thats a great thing for p