CAN AMERICA FACE ITS PAST?? Hugh Murray
Rob Quinn of Newser, 2/5/25 reported:
"One of the thousands of silent films believed to have been lost forever is lost no more. The Heart of Lincoln, a 1915 Civil War drama, was found by Dan Martin, an intern going through old reels Historic Films Archive in Greenport, Long Island, NBC News reports. Martin, a film preservation student, tells Newsday that most of the material he was going through consisted of "kind of dry" old education reels discarded by universities, but he recognized Francis Ford's name when he rolled the credits on the old 16-millimeter print. Ford, who directed the movie and starred as Abraham Lincoln, is the older brother of John Ford, who won a record four Oscars for best director, including one for 1940's The Grapes of Wrath."
Hugh Murray
My point is different: - 1915 "The Heart of Lincoln" found. Was it a hit when released? How big? In 1913 the blockbuster film of that era covered some of the same material, but in a different way. "Birth of a Nation." was probably the most popular American film until "Gone with the Wind" in 1939. It earned more in sales until "Gone with the Wind." Birth was the product of D W Griffiths. It was shown in the White House, and Pres. Woodrow Wilson declared, in a film's slide, that it was written in lightning. Birth depicts some scenes from the War Between the States, the pain when family members fight for different sides, and finally the defeat of the South,. The second half of Birth portrays the results of defeat. the foolishness of the Northerners who sought to remake the South without understanding it. The film shows how many local whites were oppressed by the corrupt Republicans and their unschooled allies. Finally, in desperation, the local whites, defeated by the war and then dispossessed by corrupt and coddled local scallywag's, carpet bagger Yankees, and illiterate former slaves. In desperation the local whites banded together in informal organizations to overthrow the Reconstruction governments. It was made to encourage audiences to emote as the Klansmen rode at night to restore order. And cheer the audiences did!
The American film industry has produced many popular and artful and money-making films. To this day Hollywood means movies. However, unlike all the popular and arty and money-making films that came later, none did what Birth of a Nation succeeded in doing. Birth created a movement! Birth was so popular a film, it brought about a revival of the KKK, and not only in the South. No wonder Pres. Wilson, Democrat, who had been Chancellor of Princeton U., prided himself that no blacks were admitted to the prestigious university under his leadership. Wilson, Democrat, also segregated the Federal Civil Service, and require a person's photo when applying for a federal job so no blacks would be hired. Wilson segregated the military too. And so he led America into war, the war to save democracy. And the war to end all wars. The book that inspired the film "Irth of a Nation" was The Clansman. Has any other film had such impact? In 1924 the KKK had a march on Washington. A candidate for the Democratic nomination was endorsed by the KKK. Another faction, oppossed, favord Roman Catholic NY Gov. Al Smith. It took 103 ballots before the delegates ignored both major factions and chose a lesser known candidate, who did poorly in the general election against Calvin Coolidge.
Wilson, a Democrat, is considered a progressive President. For Sec. of the Navy, he chose Josephus Daniels, a Democrat from North Carolina. Daniels had personally partaken in the overthrow of the last Republican city in the South, Wilmington. White mobs overthrew the GOP-Populist local government, chasing out some, burning out others, and using bullets too. With such a background, Pres. Wilson chose Daniels as his Sec. of the Navy, a very important post as war loomed. Daniels is credited in making it easier to advance in the navy on experience in the service, and less on outside credentials. He is also noted for his view, the greatest crime in America is allowing blacks to vote. For Under Sec. of the Navy, Pres. Wilson chose a young, healthy New Yorker, Franklin D. Roosevelt. When FDR became President, he retained a segregated Civil Service, and a segregated military.
A few days ago, tha last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen died at age 100, Harry Stewart, Jr. Basically, this was like other black units in the military, segregated. Of course, to begin, there were white instructors to teach all how to fly, and there were some whites too, but overall it was a segregated unit, like the rest of the American military. I worked for a white who was an officer of an all black artillary in WWII. I am not implying that segregated units were necessarily bad, they can promote pride and enthusiasm. That is the advantage of the HBCUs.
My point is that the US was conflicted on race from the beginning. The Civil War was fought to end the slave-power, and slavery. Beginning in 1865 riots and Lincoln's assassination brought the Radical Republicans to power in Congress, but they were often foiled by War Democrat Pres. Andrew Johnson. The Civil Rights Amendments to the Constitution seemed tp solve the problem. But a guerrilla war in the South, waged by whites wearing informal rebel attire, Klan white, red shirts, or whatever, against former black Union soldiers, Republicans, white teachers in black schools, black businesses, etc. Pres. Grant tried to go after the Klan, but in the disputed election of 1876, the North promised to remove Yankee troops from the area. With the fall of Wilmington in 1898, one could speak of the Solid South (solidly Democratic, solidly segregated). The North and South were re-united, symbolized as many from both parts of the nation volunteered in the Spanish American War that brought us Puerto Rico, Philippines, and influence in Cuba.
Like the other great nations in 1900, America was a racist nation too. And up to 1950 or so. What changed America????
