C-Span 3–American History TV–is a wonderful station well worth watching on a regular basis! So is C Span 2!
Tonight, starting at 8 pm, the ceremonies commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Abraham Lincoln Assassination at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, DC, will be aired live, with the exact moment of assassin John Wilkes Booth’s shot at 1015 pm into the skull of Lincoln, and the candlelight vigil after this shocking event, including the carrying of Lincoln’s body across the street to 516 10th Street NW to the Petersen House.
The next morning, at 7 am, C Span 2 and or 3 will cover the moment of the declaration of Lincoln’s death at 722 am and the reaction afterwards, with President Barack Obama expected to issue a declaration of a Day of Remembrance, for what is considered the most path breaking single moment in all of American history!
The sad thing is that a pro Confederate hate group is going to “celebrate” the assassination of Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, a commentary on how the Civil War has not fully ended, and also a statement of the hatred and division that still exists in some people’s heads who are, either, descendants of the Confederate troops who fought the Union in the Civil War, or are simply racists and secessionists, who still dream of breaking away from the United States, or plotting against its leadership, including President Obama, who has had more death threats in office than anyone since Lincoln.
And a reminder that my forthcoming book devotes Chapter 2 to the Lincoln Assassination, and also devotes part of Chapter 16 to the death threats, which are constant, against President Obama.
Thanks for that Professor. I plan to tune in tonight.
I often wonder: How might Reconstruction have gone differently had Lincoln lived? What would the landscape of race relations in 2015 United States look like? Would the lines drawn across the country, those that Lincoln strived to eradicate with the end of the Civil War, be burning any differently today?
That is the great unknown, Southern Liberal. It is believed that Lincoln’s plan of Reconstruction would have promoted reconciliation, but hard to know long range effect.
Mine has it coming on C Span 2. I would advise everyone to check your local listings.
Thanks, Pragmatic Progressive, for the indication that it depends, apparently, on where you live, but the email from C Span DOES say C Span 3. So a bit confusing, so everyone be alert tonight and tomorrow morning!
My listings have changed yet again. Tonight at 8, there are several documentaries about the assassination. Then, tomorrow morning, is the live ceremony at 7.
Yes, that is why I changed the title and the text of this entry, Pragmatic Progressive!
My listings wound up being slightly incorrect. The program last night did come on CSPAN 2. It was the live ceremony and not documentaries. It didn’t come on until 10:30 because a Senate session ran over.
The ceremony this morning I had to wind up recording and plan to watch later today.
Yes, Pragmatic Progressive, it was all very confusing. The Senate was in session until 10:12 pm EST, but then it came on C Span 2 until 12:02 am—one hour and 50 minutes—and this morning, on C Span 2, it was on from 715-805 am–so a total time of 2 hours 40 minutes–but it was all very appropriate to honor our greatest President, and I felt almost as if I was there 150 years ago when the tragedy occurred.