What happens
Orson Welles, as Abraham Lincoln, presents the Mercury Theater's dramatization of John Drinkwater's play about the president's life and public career. The story moves through Lincoln's early years and his visit with his family, the political tensions following his election, and his talks with Secretary of State Seward and cabinet members over Fort Sumter. It then turns to the debate over slavery and emancipation during the Civil War, including the cabinet's response to the Antietam victory. The series is The Mercury Theatre on the Air, and this episode first aired on August 15, 1938.
The United States, 1809 to 1862, including Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois, the White House in Washington, and the war years.
Characters: Abraham Lincoln, Mary Lincoln, Samuel, Timothy, Mr. Seward, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Chase, Mr. Blair
Listen for: Lincoln's reflections on his own character and the weight of the presidency, and the cabinet's debate over withdrawing from Fort Sumter.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.