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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ002134S
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00:38 It was in this seat that Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot 00:41 over 150 years ago in Ford's Theater, Washington, D.C. 00:48 The confederate states had just surrendered five days earlier 00:56 and a brutal civil war had finally come to a climactic end. 01:02 America had been at war with itself for four long years and 01:08 during this time the U.S. had changed forever. And the man who 01:14 had held the country together through that time was the 16th 01:18 President of the United States and now the first one to be 01:23 assassinated. Abraham Lincoln held the highest office in the 01:29 land, President of the United States. He preserved the unity 01:32 of the nation and freed slaves. His name is synonymous with 01:36 liberty, democracy and freedom and he's consistently considered 01:41 one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American President. 01:45 How did this man who had less than on year of formal education 01:50 come to be regarded as one of the greatest leaders the world 01:54 has ever seen and is there anything that we can learn that 01:58 could impact our own lives today? 02:00 ♪ ♪ 02:17 ♪Banjo music♪ 02:22 Abraham Lincoln was born on the 12th of February 1809 in a 02:26 humble log cabin to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Like many 02:30 others in those days the family farmed and lived off the land. 02:34 They were very poor and were of low social standing with very 02:39 little education. In Abraham's youth the family moved 02:43 frequently trying to stay one step ahead of financial ruin 02:47 before eventually settle down in Cole's County, Illinois. When 02:53 he was nine years old his mother died. His father 02:56 remarried a year later to Sarah Bush Johnson. Sarah encouraged 03:01 the young Abraham to educate himself by reading the Bible and 03:05 studying books. Lincoln himself admitted that the total amount 03:09 of formal schooling he received in his childhood was no more 03:13 than 12 months. Nevertheless he became an excellent reader, 03:17 learned to write and went on to write and deliver some of the 03:22 country's greatest speeches. ♪ ♪ 03:31 As a young man Lincoln worked a variety of jobs including a 03:34 shopkeeper, a surveyor and a postmaster and served as a 03:38 militia captain during the Blackhawk war, a brief conflict 03:42 between the United States and native Americans in 1832. For a 03:47 time he even split firewood for a living. He soon moved into 03:53 politics and won a seat in the Illinois legislature where he 03:56 served from 1834 to 1836. During this time, Lincoln also 04:03 taught himself law passing the bar examination in 1836. The 04:08 following year he moved to the newly named state capital of 04:13 Springfield. For the next few years he worked there as a 04:16 lawyer earning a reputation as honest Abe and serving a diverse 04:21 range of clients from individual residents of small towns to 04:26 national railroad lines. In 1842 he met Mary Todd, daughter of 04:36 a wealthy family in Kentucky. After they were married Abraham 04:40 and Mary lived here in this house in Springfield on the 04:44 northeast corner of 8th and Jackson Streets for 17 years, 04:47 from 1844 to 1861. Lincoln lived in Springfield for most 04:56 of his adult life. It was here he raised his family, developed 05:00 his beliefs about freedom and equality, and attained the 05:04 highest office in the country. ♪ ♪ 05:14 The two largest rooms in the house, the front and rear 05:18 parlors, were the first stop for any visitor to the Lincoln 05:22 home. These were the rooms where Abraham Lincoln would conduct 05:26 household business, host potential clients and entertain 05:31 guests. On May 19, 1860 here in the back parlor delegates from 05:37 the Republican National Convention formerly offered 05:40 Mr. Lincoln the Republican nomination for president. 05:44 Lincoln accepted four days later and took the first step toward 05:48 the Whitehouse from this room. ♪ ♪ 06:04 During the 1800s America was caught in transition. What had 06:08 been an almost purely agricultural economy was in the 06:12 first stages of an industrial revolution. This would result in 06:18 the United States becoming one of the world's leading 06:21 industrial powers by 1900. But the beginnings of the industrial 06:26 revolution in pre-civil war years was almost exclusively 06:30 limited to the regions north of the Mason-Dixon line, a line 06:35 that symbolically divided the northern and southern states. 06:39 The south was still predominantly agricultural. 06:42 By 1815, cotton was the most valuable export in the United 06:47 States. By 1840, it was worth more than all other exports 06:53 combined with the southern states producing two-thirds of 06:57 the world's cotton supply. Slavery formed the economic 07:01 backbone of the south. This led to an economic strength that 07:06 made these states even more adamant about defending their 07:10 right to own slaves. During the 1850s Lincoln returned to 07:15 politics at a time when the nation's longstanding division 07:19 over slavery was flaring up. In an 1858 Illinois senatorial race 07:25 as the secessionists sentiment brewed among the southern states 07:29 he delivered his now famous house divided speech in which 07:33 he paraphrased from the Bible saying: 07:35 A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this 07:42 government cannot endure permanently half slave and half 07:46 free. ♪ ♪ 07:49 The speech was seen of a house divided against itself cannot 07:54 stand was a familiar concept that Jesus spoke about in the 07:57 gospel of Matthew chapter 12: 07:59 ♪ ♪ 08:11 Lincoln hoped to use a well- known figure of speech to help 08:14 rouse the people to recognize the magnitude of the ongoing 08:18 debates over the legality of slavery and to illustrate his 08:23 belief that the Union would not last if it remained divided on 08:26 this issue. Abraham Lincoln shocked many when he overcame 08:32 several more prominent contenders to win the 08:35 presidential election in 1860. After years of sectional tension 08:40 the election of an antislavery northerner as the 16th president 08:44 of the United States drove many southerners over the brink. By 08:51 the time Lincoln was inaugurated in March 1861 seven 08:57 southern states had seceded from the Union and formed the 09:00 Confederate States of America. Four more states would join them 09:05 making what became known as the Confederacy. Soon after the 09:15 outbreak of the civil war began at Fort Sumpter on April 12, 09:19 1861. It was the northern states also known as the Union or 09:25 Yankees that fought against the south commonly called the rebels 09:31 Lincoln eventually raised an army and navy of nearly three 09:35 million northern men to face a southern army of over two 09:38 million soldiers. In battles fought from Virginia to 09:42 California the great Civil War tore the United States apart. 09:47 On January 1, 1863 as the nation approached its third year of the 09:56 Civil War Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 10:22 This was an order that freed the slaves in the Confederate states 10:27 Although not all slaves were immediately set free, it paved 10:32 the way for the 13th amendment which would free all slaves in 10:36 the United States a few years later. 10:39 ♪ ♪ 10:53 In 1863, the American Civil War came to Gettysburg. What took 10:58 place right here at Gettysburg in just three days was the 11:03 turning point for the entire American Civil War. During the 11:07 first three days of July 1963, the north's Union Army and the 11:12 south's Confederate army turned this small farming town in 11:16 southern Pennsylvania with a population of 2500 into the site 11:22 of a struggle for the future of the United States. The Battle of 11:27 Gettysburg was the largest battle of the American Civil War 11:31 as well as the largest battle ever fought on North America. 11:35 It would involve around 85,000 men in the Union's army and 11:40 approximately 75,000 men in the Confederacy's army. Many 11:45 historians believe that the south never recovered from its 11:49 defeat here. 11:50 ♪ ♪ 12:03 The Battle of Gettysburg had been costly for both sides and 12:08 despite the Union victory war pessimism hung over the north. 12:11 Photographs produced morbid images of the carnage exposing 12:16 the nation to the horrors of war Four months after the battle and 12:26 amid lingering northern doubts about whether the Civil War was 12:29 worth the cost, President Lincoln was invited to 12:32 Gettysburg to dedicate the Soldiers National Cemetery to 12:36 the over 7000 fallen soldiers. He was asked to keep his address 12:41 short and just make a few appropriate remarks. 12:44 (Sound of train and whistle) 12:50 On the evening of November 18, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln 12:55 arrived in Gettysburg at this station. He exited his train 12:59 coach on the platform and then passed through the station onto 13:02 Carlisle Street where he was greeted by his host, David Wills 13:06 and other dignitaries. The group walked the short distance to the 13:11 Wills' house on the town square in Central Gettysburg where Mrs. 13:15 Wills had feast waiting for them After dinner, Lincoln retired to 13:20 his bedroom. He slept in this bed and much of the other 13:24 furniture was in the room on that night and would have been 13:27 used by the President. Lincoln had written portions of the 13:31 Gettysburg address before he left Washington but he finished 13:35 writing it in this room. The next morning he made a final 13:39 revision to his speech before proceeding to the ceremony. 13:43 ♪ ♪ The 19th of November 1863 was 13:50 Gettysburg's most momentous day. Nearly 20,000 statesmen soldiers 13:55 and citizens converged this hill to consecrate the new Soldier's 14:00 National Cemetery. The speaker's platform was located 14:04 near here. The Honorable Edward Everett, principle speaker and 14:09 former governor of Massachusetts took the platform with_. 14:13 The eloquent but exhausting speech lasted two hours. 14:18 Following him President Abraham Lincoln rose to deliver the 14:21 Gettysburg Address. As the crowd strained to see and hear Lincoln 14:27 spoke deliberately and without gestures. According to some 14:31 observers the people received his prayer-like words in stunned 14:35 silence. The Gettysburg Address was 10 sentences long and lasted 14:41 just two minutes. Here is just 272 words Lincoln reminded the 14:48 northern public what they were fighting for: Freedom and 14:52 democracy. It became one of the most famous and influential 14:56 pieces of oratory in history. 15:00 Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on 15:05 this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and 15:08 dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 15:13 Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that 15:17 nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, 15:20 can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. 15:26 We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final 15:29 resting place for those who here gave their lives that that 15:33 nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper 15:38 that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot 15:43 dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. 15:49 The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have 15:53 consecrated it far above out poor power to add or detract. 15:58 The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, 16:03 but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the 16:08 living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work 16:12 which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 16:16 It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task 16:21 remaining before us that from these honored dead we take 16:25 increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last 16:29 full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that 16:34 these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under 16:38 God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of 16:43 the people, by the people for the people, shall not perish 16:48 from the earth. 16:49 President Lincoln transformed into poetry the nation's 16:56 founding principles. While slave owners stood firm on the 17:00 constitution's protection of property including their slaves 17:05 Lincoln insisted that America was conceived in liberty and 17:08 dedicated to the proposal that all men are created equal. 17:13 Lincoln thought to transform America by redefining liberty 17:18 and nationalism, by essentially fusing them together, Lincoln 17:22 not only inspired the north to continue the fight he forever 17:27 changed how the world would think about freedom. 17:32 The President started by referring to the past and was 17:36 immediately disputing a view that was widely held in America 17:39 at the time, that all men were not made equal. Many believed 17:44 that blacks were designed to be slaves and subordinate to whites 17:48 Lincoln challenged this belief by returning to the words of the 17:53 Declaration of Independence. The founding fathers, he thought 17:57 had started the country with a bright promise, equality. 18:01 Lincoln believed that slavery made this promise impossible to 18:06 keep. On that November day Lincoln also spoke of just 18:10 government, the government of the people, by the people, for 18:14 the people. By that he meant democracy, an idea that was 18:19 still unusual in a world of kings and czars. If the north 18:23 lost the war the union would fall apart and what future could 18:28 there be for democracy itself. The world might lose its last 18:32 best hope as Lincoln said. At 6 P.M. Lincoln was back at the 18:39 station to board his train for the return trip to Washington. 18:44 Abraham Lincoln and the town of Gettysburg would be forever 18:48 associated in world history with the enduring acclaim of the two 18:53 minute speech. This old station stands today as a witness and 18:58 reminder of that great event. A year and a half after Lincoln 19:06 delivered the Gettysburg address the north won the war. More than 19:11 620,000 men died in the Civil War, more than any other war in 19:16 American history. Lincoln wanted the country to heal, forgive and 19:21 rebuild. He wanted to be generous to the southern states 19:25 in helping them during the reconstruction. However, 19:29 tragically Lincoln would not live to see the country rebuild. 19:33 Three days after the south surrendered, John Wilkes Booth 19:38 shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater. Booth, a proponent of 19:46 slavery, an actor and a spy, believed that if he could kill 19:50 the president the policy of the government toward the south 19:53 might be radically altered to favor the Confederacy. So on the 19:58 evening of Good Friday, April 14, Booth slipped into the 20:03 President's box at the Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. and 20:07 shot him point-blank in the back of the head. He then 20:11 stabbed Major Rathburn, jumped down onto the stage, ran out the 20:16 back door, mounted his horse and escaped the city. Lincoln was 20:23 carried to a boarding house across the street from the 20:25 theater but he never regained consciousness. Mary Lincoln, the 20:32 President's distraught wife, spent most of the night here in 20:36 the front parlor between visits to her husband's bedside. Her 20:40 eldest son Robert and close friends comforted her through 20:44 the night. In this bedroom, the back parlor, Secretary of War 20:52 Stanton held several cabinet meetings, interviewed witnesses, 20:57 and ordered the pursuit of the assassins. President Lincoln, 21:01 mortally wounded and bleeding profusely was carried into this 21:05 room and laid diagonally across the bed. A team of several 21:10 doctors worked on him during the night but nine hours after being 21:15 shot Abraham Lincoln died in this room at 7:22 A.M. on the 21:20 15th of April 1865. Now he belongs to the ages pronounced 21:28 Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. News of Lincoln's death was met 21:38 with immense grief. Across the U.S. church bells pealed for 21:44 hours, patriotic bunting came down from buildings replaced by 21:48 black crepe. Especially grief stricken were freed slaves in 21:52 the south and the nation's free black population of the north. 21:57 On April 21 Lincoln's body was placed on a seven car funeral 22:04 train and embarked on a cross country journey from Washington 22:08 through numerous cities to his hometown of Springfield, 22:11 Illinois. As the train passed through cities and towns eleven 22:18 major cities held public funerals and countless other 22:22 Americans paid their respects. When the train finally reached 22:26 Springfield Abraham Lincoln was buried here at the Oakridge 22:30 Cemetery. This cemetery is surpassed only by Arlington as 22:36 the most visited cemetery in the nation. Yet Lincoln's 22:44 work survived. 22:45 The country did bring forth a new birth of freedom. In 1865 22:49 it passed the 13th amendment to the constitution abolishing 22:54 slavery forever. Two more amendments soon followed that 22:59 granted citizenship to all regardless of race. The right to 23:03 vote was no longer dependent on race or color. Once kindled, 23:10 Lincoln's burning hope was never quite extinguished. The words of 23:15 the Gettysburg Address, carved on the wall of the Lincoln 23:18 Memorial are a lasting beacon of hope for all African Americans 23:24 and all other Americans. The Lincoln Memorial is located in 23:30 Washington, D.C. at the very heart of the nation. Thousands 23:34 of tourists continue to visit this place every year. Built in 23:38 white stone with 36 iconic columns the Lincoln Memorial is 23:43 one of the most recognized structures in the United States. 23:46 The six meter statue of Lincoln sits overlooking the reflecting 23:50 pool. To his right is engraved his famous Gettysburg Address. 24:00 Almost 90 years after the Civil War the U.S. Supreme Court made 24:04 segregation illegal. Lincoln's vision became the law of the 24:09 land. Since that November day in 1863 Lincoln's words have 24:19 stood and inspired countless millions all over the world. 24:24 Those words speak to the eternal human dream of lasting liberty, 24:29 equality and freedom. A dream that belongs to everyone, a 24:34 dream that would not, will not perish from the earth. Why? 24:39 Because God has placed the desire for freedom in our hearts 24:43 We weren't made to be slaves. We were designed to be free. 24:48 We cannot be satisfied or find peace until we are free and true 24:53 freedom, freedom from guilt and sin can only be found in Jesus. 24:58 You see being a slave to sin is the ultimate bondage. 25:03 The freedom that Jesus offers is a spiritual freedom from the 25:07 guilt and bondage of sin. Jesus is the truth. Knowing the truth 25:12 knowing Jesus sets us free. Free from sin, free from guilt and 25:18 free from condemnation. Wouldn't you like to experience that 25:22 freedom, true freedom. Well you can. Why not ask for it right 25:27 now as we pray. Dear Heavenly Father, today 25:33 we've been reminded of the importance of freedom and just 25:36 how precious it is. We admire men like Abraham Lincoln who 25:41 have championed the cause of the poor and the downtrodden. Today 25:45 we want to recognize the greatest of liberators, Jesus 25:49 Christ. We thank you for the freedom that he brings to our 25:54 lives. Thank you for setting us free from sin and guilt. 25:58 In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 26:02 The story of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address is 26:07 certainly inspiring and has influenced millions of people 26:11 around the world. If you want to fill the emptiness that leaves 26:15 you restless, then I'd like to recommend a free gift we have 26:19 for you today. It's a Bible study guide We Can Believe in 26:23 God. As you read it you will find rest in him. This study 26:29 guide is our gift to you and is absolutely free. There are no 26:33 costs or obligations whatsoever. So don't miss this wonderful 26:38 opportunity to receive the gift we have for you today. Here's 26:42 the information you need: Phone or text us at: 26:47 0436333555 in Australia or 0204222042 in New Zealand or 26:56 visit our website TiJ.tv to request today's free offer and 27:02 we'll send it to you totally free of charge and with no 27:05 obligation. Write to us at: 27:20 Don't delay. Call or text us now 27:24 If you've enjoyed today's journey be sure to join us again 27:29 next week when we will share another of life's journeys 27:32 together and experience another new and thought provoking 27:36 perspective on the peace, insight, understanding and 27:41 hope that only the Bible can give us. The Incredible Journey 27:45 truly is television that changes lives. Until next week remember 27:51 the ultimate destination of life's journey: Now I saw a new 27:56 heaven and a new earth. And God will wipe away every tear from 28:00 their eyes. There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying 28:04 There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed 28:09 away. ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2020-07-22