With support from the University of Richmond

New perspectives on how history is made

Lincoln documentary reveals dark side of American saint

As Americans mark the Civil War Sesquicentennial, historians are fighting a battle over the reputation of the nation’s sixteenth president.

Featuring leading historians such as Eric Foner, Jay Sexton, and Lerone Bennett, JR., Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner? unearths another Lincoln: a politician rather than a statesman; a pragmatist as opposed to a visionary; and a war criminal instead of a war leader.

The Lincoln presidency was previously considered beyond scholarly debate with misdeeds often brushed under the historical carpet. Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner? follows on from American Idol – Reagan and JFK: The Making of Modern Politics, also shown on the BBC this winter.