Classroom Activities
The following are activities related to Lincoln's Lyceum Address and demagogues in America. Also included is a follow-up expansion activity examining Lincoln's belief that a leader must be able to separate personal beliefs from public duty.
Close Reading Guide:
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Secondary Source:
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Close Reading Guide:
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Useful Websites
The image above will link you to Dickinson College's The House Divided Project
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The image above will link to the Lyceum Address page of the Lincoln's Writings website. It will provide an excerpt transcript of the speech, an audio reading of that excerpt, additional primary and secondary sources and a close reading video produced by Dr. Matthew Pinsker of Dickinson College.
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Lincoln's Lyceum Address- Full Text Link and Audio Link
Close Reading Essays on Lyceum Address and Letter to Albert Hodges
YouTube Videos on Donald Trump as a Demagogue
In this video, author Michael Signer explains why Donald Trump meets the definition of a demagogue.
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Excerpt of President Obama's Democratic National Convention Speech in 2016 where he labels Donald Trump a demagogue.
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Ideas for Expanding on this Lesson
This website was designed to not only start a conversation around the 2016 presidential election but to also begin discussion on how Americans can avoid the rise of demagogues in society. It is this author's belief that demagogues seem to rise in times of American restlessness, or in the words of Lincoln, when the "game is caught". Further exploration of this topic is encouraged and hopefully we can find an answer that can explain how in 2016 a modern-day demagogue can be a major party's presidential candidate. The controversy over Trump's presidential campaign will not die with a win or defeat in the general election, instead it will be a talking point for years to come and opportunity for civil discussion with our students on the current state of American politics.