Attn: Lincoln Fans!

[dalebert]

That's a teaser title. I love those. Anyway, now that I have your attention, I'm soliciting for suggestions for a history quiz on Anarchy In Your Head as my blog post for today (President's Day).

The theme of this quiz will only become apparent after you've completed it. The idea is that it will have a series of questions with some really shocking facts from history such as "Who said the following?

'I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.' "

The answers to all the questions will be "Abraham Lincoln". Eventually I'd like to pass this quiz out as a flyer to students leaving the Keene High School with a title like "How's Your History?"

So then the idea is to submit a question with the answer being "Abraham Lincoln", a particularly shocking factoid that most people will not know, particularly those with public school indoctrinations, I mean educations.

[K. Darien Freeheart]

Which President said during an electoral debate: "I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."?

[K. Darien Freeheart]

Which historical figure was involved with the "American Colonial Society" and supported "deporting" people to the colony of Liberia because they had black skin?

[dalebert]

Great stuph, Kevin. Keep it coming. Part of my inspiration was the hanging in effigy of Lincoln in Keene Square. Are those factoids you collected, his "charges", available in a convenient form somewhere? That's some great stuph.

[Vitruvian]

"There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will for ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

source

[Puke]

Bleh, on the radio today they talked about some stupid thing in which "historians" call Lincoln the best US President.
I wonder if the criteria was "Most Americans killed in war started by said President."
Congrats to that. 

[dalebert]

No one has brought up anything outside of his racist and slavery issues. Doesn't anyone have anything to add about his abuse of the Constitution he swore to protect or people he had executed?

[Moebius Tripp]

He threatened to jail a Justice... I was just trying to research which Justice, and the incident, but most of the stuph on him is *so* glossy...

I'll get back to this thread.

[djbridgeland]

Which president had members of the public and  press locked up for speaking out about his policies?  Which president used Union solders to bully citzens into voting for him?

[J’raxis 270145]

Nice.

I was also going to point out, don't concentrate entirely on slavery. Lincoln is also responsible for the first income tax, first national draft, and first fiat currency. I don't know any direct quotes about those topics, but look around and you should be able to find some.

Which president had members of the public and  press locked up for speaking out about his policies?  Which president used Union solders to bully citzens into voting for him?

"Union soldiers" might clue people in. Use a more generic term like "the military" or somesuch.

[dalebert]

Which president had members of the public and  press locked up for speaking out about his policies?  Which president used Union solders to bully citzens into voting for him?

I like the first one because I'm wondering how many people will say "George Bush", though I'd like to be more specific if possible. I want to stick to things I can solidly back up with references so the more specific the better. Do you have a reference for either of those?

[J’raxis 270145]

Here's my favorite about the true motives of the Civil War:—

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.

Of course, in conjunction with the other quotes, this might make it too obvious the quiz is about Lincoln, too.

[Moebius Tripp]

From an article on STR:

A U.S. Congressman from Ohio, Clement L. Vallandigham, was arrested and deported merely for publicly criticizing Lincoln's wartime polices. Scores of Northern newspapers were either censored or shut down by government authorities for publishing criticism of Lincoln and the Federal government. Tens of thousands of Northerners were arrested without a warrant and held without a trial for expressing anti-government or anti-war views. In 1861, Lincoln ordered the arrests of every member of the Maryland state legislature that hailed from Baltimore, as well as that city's mayor and U.S. Congressional representative, so that they couldn't convene to discuss the possibility of secession.

[dalebert]

I'm glad I started this thread and hopefully we can flesh it out and come up with a good test to post and to hand out at the schools. Unfortunately, I don't feel I can give this subject the attention it deserves for today's blog post and that's a shame since today is president's day.

[Pat K]

I like this Lincoln.