Lincoln's First Inaugural Address: a history & media-literacy learning tool
Channel: Daniel Vimont
Date: 23/06/2016

This video of the first portion of Lincoln's first inaugural address is most obviously presented as infotainment in its own right.

It might particularly be useful to those currently studying 19th century American history, but it might also be a worthy tool for students of media literacy.

The video was originally produced as part of an endeavor entitled "Primary Source Alchemy", and its aim was not only to bring together words AND images from the time, but also to present them in such a way that, from time to time, the images CONTRADICT the words being spoken (or at least present a very distinct alternative point of view). At its best moments, the MUSIC may be presenting yet another point of view, or may be lending its support to the point of view embodied in either the words or the images.

Through each segment of the video, students of history AND media literacy may ask themselves:
-- What point of view is being presented by the spoken words? ...by the images? ... by the music?
-- If multiple points of view are being presented, does the video-maker seem to be "taking sides"?
-- Is the video-maker trying to convince me of something? Is he succeeding? Why, or why not?

Other than the cloud images at the beginning of the video (provided under CC-license by YouTube), all images are in the public domain.
The recording of the spoken word, narrated by Daniel Vimont, was originally produced for a LibriVox.org recording in 2012, and is in the public domain. (BTW, I had read that Lincoln's speaking voice was somewhat high and strained sounding, so I was speaking in a higher-than-normal range, which automatically sounded "strained"!)
All music is composed and performed by Daniel Vimont (with the help of a synthesized string section and a real alto recorder).  Some of the music incorporates themes from well-known Negro spirituals. (Listen for them, and see if you can identify them.)

Wind sound effect "wind.wav" provided by ERH at freesound.org under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License. (Thanks, ERH!)

This video submitted to the 2016 #KAtalentsearch