Pick of the Day: The Abolitionists (DVD)

The Abolitionists (American Experience Series). DVD. 3 hrs. Prod. by WGBH Foundation. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2013. ISBN 978-1-60883-833-2. $24.99.
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 Grimké, 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, formerlyLakeParkHigh School,Roselle,IL