Abraham Lincoln Special Edition

 

VOL. 1 Issue 1

‘Abraham Lincoln: A Play’

By John Drinkwater

Running in the West End almost continuously from 1919 to 1945, Drinkwater’s play shows the importance of the President in contemporary British culture.

However, whilst its performance in Britain was almost unanimously successful, in America it was more controversial, as shown by the sources.

The British response is shown on the left, the American on the right.

The Times  Tuesday, Dec 02, 1919; pg. 12; Issue 42272; col B

Published: May 23, 1920 Copyright © The New York Times

The Modern View:

Contemporary British reviews of the play praise it for showing a Lincoln that the British people could relate to, with there being a growing trend of ‘anglicising’ him due to evidence of his British ancestry surfacing. The British people could see some of themselves in Drinkwater’s portrayal and could see the similarities between their own battles in WWI and Lincoln’s struggle in the American Civil War. Drinkwater presents an incredibly flattering idea of Lincoln, one that largely mirrors the image of him that Britain had in the first half of the 20th century, and that the public embraced.

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However, the American press largely criticised the image of Lincoln that Drinkwater portrays, disliking his overly Anglicised image. These reviews are perhaps more congruent with those we would imagine the play would receive today in Britain. Whilst Lincoln is still highly regarded in British politics and his legacy still relevant, he is no longer viewed as an English figure. The idea that Lincoln was of ‘British stock’ and the tendency to attribute his success to his British ancestry is no longer in vogue. Additionally, with regards to Lincoln as a symbol of democracy, there are simply more closely related and/or current figures that represent this in Britain today such as Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela.  Despite its faults and a portrayal of Lincoln that is questionable in the modern day, the play was a resounding success in Britain. The public were looking for a tangible figure that they could relate to, someone who could give them faith in democracy, and Drinkwater provided them with one. However, despite its contemporary success, the play would likely flop in modern times due to its portrayal of an English Lincoln that simply doesn’t exist anymore.

Changing Views

The Statues Today:

Although highly significant during their time, the statues have since lost their importance in modern culture. Few in London are even aware of its presence, whilst even less have seen or visited it themselves.

Have You Heard of the Lincoln Statue in Par-liament Square?

Yes and have seen it

Yes but haven't seen it

No

However, the statues have retained some importance at a political level as a symbol of Anglo-American relations. A Ministry of Information video released in 1941 highlights the Parliament Square statue, accompanied by the certainty that ‘the New World will avenge the Old’ should England fall.

This shows a statement of trust and solidarity between the English speaking nations, epitomised by Lincoln, and also highlights the significance this exchanging of statues held. Whilst the public now may rarely even consider it, its presence had a huge impact on the Anglo-American alliance that eventually won the War.

Ministry of Information: Words for Battle

The Unveiling:

This change in the significance of Lincoln is also noticeable in the differing views on his Anglicisation. The unveiling ceremony in Parliament Square included speeches from some key politicians of the time: Elihu Root, Lloyd George and Lord Bryce. A large amount of time was devoted by each to Lincoln’s nationality, with each nation trying to claim him as their own.

Elihu Root, American Secretary of State: "the statue of Lincoln the American"

David Lloyd George: "Abraham Lincoln belongs to the common people of every land“

Lord Bryce: "Lincoln... is as much ours, Mr. Root, as he is yours"

This is evident also in the highly Anglicanised approach of John Drinkwater in his play (see pg 2) and on the heavy emphasis placed on Lincoln’s Norfolk roots. Lincoln was seen as a hero to both Britons and Americans, and was a symbol for all the English-Speaking nations.

However, despite Bryce’s assertions, in current times Lincoln is seen entirely as an American. Little affinity is felt with him in the British, apart from the respect due to such a figure, and for us to attempt to assert ties with him now would be akin to the Americans trying to claim Churchill as their own

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Culture

Lincoln: the man behind the film (UCL) ft Adam Smith,

Lincoln (2012 film):

Interest in Lincoln has remained strong worldwide even to the modern day: it is said that there are more books written in English about Lincoln than anyone other than Jesus. His modern popularity is shown by the

2012 film, the second on the topic to be released that year, although significantly more accurate than its counterpart Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Although highly accurate for the majority, the film does feature some discrepancies; it shows Lincoln largely in his stereotypical image as ‘the Great Emancipator’, not revealing his conflicting racial views. Although undoubtedly a proponent of equality, Lincoln was not as radical an abolitionist as some of his contemporaries, and certainly held more ambiguous views than portrayed in the film. This shows the popular cultural image of Lincoln that has survived through time, despite evidence of his image being idealised.

Lincoln and Humour:

Although many would perhaps not think so now, among contemporaries Lincoln was renowned for his dry humour, witty remarks and comic anecdotes. Here are a couple of examples:

• ‘If I were two-faced, would I

be wearing this one?’

• ‘Whenever I hear anyone

arguing for slavery, I feel a

strong impulse to see it tried

on him personally’

• ‘Better to remain silent and

be thought a fool than to

speak out and remove all

doubt’This watercolour painting from 1920, the year of the statue’s unveiling, has been

found within the National Archives:

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