Lincoln’s Dilemma Review: A Legacy Reexamined

There is no shortage of documentaries about Abraham Lincoln or the Civil War. Few figures loom larger in our national consciousness than the 16th president.

AppleTV+’s new docuseries, Lincoln’s Dilemma, is a worthy addition to that list with a relevant story to tell.

Despite, or perhaps because of, how often his name is invoked, Lincoln’s legacy is often reduced to a talking point or symbol.

Lincoln’s Dilemma attempts to complicate and recenter our understanding of that legacy and the history of emancipation. It deconstructs the image of Lincoln as the “Great Emancipator” or as the near-flawless figure that saved the Union.

To be sure, Lincoln’s Dilemma isn’t the first to challenge that image. Lincoln’s legacy has become a growing point of contention as we continue to grapple with (or refuse to grapple with) our past. 

What makes Lincoln’s Dilemma interesting, though, is that in the process of demystifying a giant, it places Lincoln within the larger effort for emancipation, specifically by those that were enslaved themselves. 

The picture the series paints of Lincoln is more compelling because it doesn’t shy away from his shortcomings.

If we only look at these historical figures through one lens then we’re kind of allowed to not ask these uncomfortable questions about Lincoln’s ideas about slavery and how they evolve. — Justene Hilll Edwards, Historian, University of Virginia

Instead of the “Great Man” trope that saturates political and pop culture, the series elevates Lincoln’s ability to grow and be moved by others as the trait that made him an exceptional leader.

It underscores how central empathy was to his character. It shows how that trait shaped his presidency and how his perspective evolved. 

Another powerful aspect of the series is that as much as it is about Lincoln, it intentionally isn’t just about Lincoln. 

The series does an admirable job of retelling the history of the Civil War and emancipation with Black people as a central and driving force. 

Often when the history of the Civil War is told, the role of Black people is abstracted or treated as a footnote to the political and military history of Lincoln and his generals. 

Lincoln’s Dilemma, however, gives equal weight to both Lincoln’s evolution and the vital efforts of Black people in the push towards freedom. They were essential to changing Lincoln’s views and a critical part of the Union’s ultimate success. 

We can’t know or understand Lincoln at the same time that we have an emotional investment in preserving him as a savior… Really only by understanding the things that he got wrong can we really grasp the magnitude and importance of the things he got right. — Jelani Cobb, Journalist

The series takes time to detail collective resistance, like the use of the song “Ho, Emma, Ho” to regulate the speed of people’s work in the fields.

Individual acts of heroism are also brought to life. The daring escape of Robert Smalls in a stolen Confederate ship is a particularly thrilling example. 

It is a much-needed correction to a commonly taught history and relevant to our understanding of how change happens and who makes it happen. 

The story that Lincoln’s Dilemma is telling can be frustrating at times. It’s easy to see its relevance to conversations we have today and all the unlearned lessons. 

It raises countless questions about how history might have been different if Lincoln had not been assassinated.

Would he have continued to evolve on the issue of equal rights? What would the country look like if reconstruction had continued under Lincoln for four more years?

The great changes that take place in almost every society are generated by people who are out of positions of power but who are placing demands that are increasingly formidable on those that are in positions of power. — Steven Hahn, Historian, New York University

They are impossible questions to answer, but ones you can’t help but ask while lamenting the what-ifs that might have been.

With all that frustration, though, there is also hope to be found. Despite the tragedy that marked his life, the vision of Lincoln, not as benevolent perfection but as a man who grew and evolved, is an aspirational one.

There is hope in remembering that even those with the least power can change the course of history and move leaders towards those better angels that Lincoln talked about. 

Lincoln’s Dilemma asks viewers to see Abraham Lincoln in all his complexities. It widens the lens to celebrate people that pushed a president and a nation to do better.

It asks us not only to rethink our past but to reflect on how it informs our present. 

What did you think of Lincoln’s Dilemma? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Lincoln’s Dilemma is streaming now on AppleTV+.

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