School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-This year marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, an event made possible by the efforts of a diverse group of anti-slavery activists referred to as Abolitionists. Considered to be radicals by many and often the target of personal attacks, their struggles to raise the collective consciousness of Northerners and Southerners to the horror of the slave system are recreated in this incredibly well-crafted program. Divided into three 60-minute components, this nicely paced presentation is uniquely structured: each section includes theater-quality dramatic re-creations of historical events which are smoothly punctuated with supplemental documentary-style narration and commentary/interpretation by a panel of historians. The producers follow a chronological pattern, beginning in the 1820s and progressing through the end of the Civil War, with moving portraits of significant individuals (Angelina Grimke, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown, and others) as well as events (such as the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the power of abolitionist newspapers, and the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law) and their contributions to their committed cause. A wide variety of vintage photographs and copies of period newspapers supplement the narrator's clear and well-paced script. Chapter selection and English-language subtitles are optional. Additional resources, including a blog, are available at pbs.org to increase the usability of this incredible film which will be a valued asset to media collections for classroom use and individual research.-Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Library Journal Review
This three-part program details the lives of five American antislavery activists who played key roles in the abolitionist movement. Presented in an unusual but surprisingly effective manner, the film combines scripted reenactments with traditional documentary material such as brief historian interviews and photographs from the period. Actor Oliver Platt ties everything together with his informative narration. A variety of antislavery angles are captured, for example, that of journalist William Lloyd Garrison (1805-79), controversial author Angelina Grimke (1805-79), slave-turned-orator Frederick Douglass (1818-95), novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-96), and militant abolitionist John Brown (1800-59). Garrison, who started the radical newspaper The Liberator and founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society, is featured most prominently and seems to be given the most credit for launching the abolitionist movement, but the film does an impressive job of balancing the five geographically and chronologically diverse stories. The reenactments are richly detailed, well acted, and mostly convincing, but they tend to verge on melodrama as the actors spend long minutes silently emoting and pondering America's fate. VERDICT Recommended for students, teachers, and anyone interested in the stories of some of the most important figures in America's antebellum history.-Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
