When they got off the bus they were the mercy of this crowd who then proceeded to attack them even further. The deal that had been worked out with local Law Enforcement and the segregationists was evident 15 minutes they would have 15 minutes before Law Enforcement intervened. After about a 15 minute point a local Law Enforcement officer pulled his weapon and fired a shot. That is what stopped the attack. In the meantime the trailways bus arrived an hour later. They dont know until they arrived that the Greyhound Bus was already attacked. The interesting thing about the trailways bus, unlike the Greyhound Bus, several segregationists had gotten on the bus in atlanta. They were riding from atlanta. They had not only harassed the atlanta, the bus from but they had also beaten several of the freedom riders while on the bus. The trailways bus was able to continue on into birmingham for yet another mob formed and was waiting for that bus to arrive. While this was going on there were a group of students, College Students in nashville that were part of the National Student movement that had been working to desegregate lunch counters in the downtown area for over a year. The students were monitoring to see what would happen. There were negotiations and discussions among the students in nashville to come to birmingham to continue the ride. That is where they reconvened in birmingham. Once the students arrived the Kennedy Administration work out with the State Government to provide protection for the students leaving birmingham and coming to montgomery. The deal that was worked out is that the buses would be protected by state police from the Birmingham City limits until the Montgomery City limits. In the Montgomery City police would pick up the bus and protected as it arrived in montgomery at the bus station. The bus with the freedom riders left birmingham on may 20, 1961. Everything was going according to plan until the bus arrived in the city of montgomery limits. Offhe state police peeled and the city police did not pick up the bus to escort into the montgomery bus station. It took about 15 minutes for the bus to arrive here at the Greyhound Bus station. It pulled into the station and several freedom riders remarked that it was the wreath that they were not many people around. Were not manythey people around. Several photographers and journalists were waiting to interview the students. As they got off the bus and started the interviews, then a crowd formed. They came from behind buildings, out of cars, from across the street. They came from everywhere and to send it on these students in the end attacking the photographers and the journalists. They smashed cameras. Some were beaten with their own equipment as a part of the attack. After they attacked the journalists they turn of the freedom riders. There were 21 students on the bus. 23. Of them were older than they were black and white. As they were being attacked congressman lewis suggested to the students in the middle of all of this that they stand together and try to huddle together and not get separated. Beatenple most badly for the loan white male on the bus. He was an Exchange Student at the time from wisconsin. He and congressman lewis for the first two off the bus. Had all manner of weapons in which to attack the students. They were bats and chains and types and crates. Any manner of weaponry you can think of to affect the students. After he was attacked, then the crowd turned on congressman lewis. He was hit over the head with a cocacola crate. That was one of the last things they remembered. Two other people onsite that they were also caught up in this assistant were the assistant to Robert F Kennedy. He came in dollar across this scene while it was in progress and try to intervene. He announced himself as a federal official. Someone proceeded to hit him over the head with a metal pipe and attack him. Him, what happened with the other official of the Justice Department on the scene that day went to go find judge frank johnson, a federal judge here in montgomery to ask him to issue an injunction to stop the klan from interfering. He issued the injunction to keep the klan from interfering with the freedom riders, but also issued one for the riders to stop the ride. The civil rights leaders came to montgomery to hold a mass meeting, along with citizens in the city of montgomery to support the freedom riders. It was held at First Baptist church, the church of reverend abernathy. While they were holding the meeting, there were about 1500 people in the church. The mob outside thank you process was about 3000 people. They attacked the church. They threw rocks at the church. They turned over cars outside the church. They threw molotov cocktails at the walls of the exterior of the church. Dr. King and other leaders inside the church reached out to attorney general Robert F Kennedy and asked him to send in federal troops. Instead of the troops coming, the governor called out the national guard. Once the freedom riders were taken from the church, they were taken to dr. Harris home. He was a black pharmacist who had been involved in the bus boycott. He provided transportation coordination for the bus boycott. At his home the freedom riders were given safe haven. The other decision was the ride would continue. The next stop the jackson, mississippi. On may 24, 1961, two busloads of freedom riders, many who had been on the early bus from montgomery left montgomery on the trailways bus. When they arrived in jackson, mississippi they did try to integrate the segregated facilities and were arrested. They were all charged with breach of peace. Many served anywhere from 3040 days in jail. Over 300 riders were arrested and served times in jackson, mississippi. They never arrived to the destination in new orleans. Even after all the activism and rosahe work people like parks and dr. Martin luther king had done in 1955, desegregating the sadie city buses in montgomery, for most of life to not change from day to day. They still suffered in the same situations they had before 1955. Inwas after the student sit in 1961freedom riders when the signs of segregation start to come down. That was when the icc ruled on november 1 that all these facilities across the south had integrate. That was when he first saw the visual changes in the landscape that segregation was on its deathbed. Our cities toward staff recently traveled to montgomery, alabama to learn about its rich history. About other stops in our tour at cspan. Org citiestour. You are watching American History tv all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. Court is left of this amount of power incomes greater responsibility. The idea you have a seat on the court unfettered for 35 years just is not pass the smell test with a modern democracy. Talked about changes he would like to see at the Supreme Court, including oral arguments the cameras, imposing term requiring justices to a here to the same code of ethics that other federal judges follow. The Supreme Court decisions affect all americans. All americans are aware of the third branch of government. In the last 1015 years it has become so powerful. The idea that issues on voting and marriage and health care and immigration and womens rights, pregnancy discrimination. I could go on and on. 2030 yearsmay be ago congress in executive branch we get together and figure out a compromise. That is not really happen anymore. The buck stops at the Supreme Court in a way that is unprecedented in our history. And given is making these very impactful decisions, we as a public can press them to conform to modern expectations of transparency and accountability. Cspans q8 00 on and a. Feature programs that tell the story. Some of the highlights for this weekend include this evening at 8 00 on lectures in history. Dickinson College ProfessorDavid Oconnell discusses president ial legacies and the factors that contribute to a successful president ial term. At 10 00 p. M. On real america, in september of 1963, two months prior to his death, president kennedy traveled across the United States to promote conservation of Natural Resources for future generations. Sunday morning at 10 00 on road to the white house rewind, a 1984 democratic debate in atlanta including former Vice President walter mondale, gary hart of colorado and john glenn of ohio, former president ial nominee or to govern and reverend jesse jackson. For the complete American History tv weekend schedule, go to cspan. Org. Buff. M a history i enjoy seeing the fabric of our country and how things work and made. I love American History tv. American artifacts is a fantastic show. I had no idea history was something i would enjoy. With American History tv, it gives you that perspective. I am a cspan fan. We are back at fords theater in washington, d. C. With the vietnam lincoln symposium. Abraham lincoln symposium. The man is in the process of giving away an award. We are waiting for another speaker to talk. They will beast that will be Stacy Pratt Mcdermott speaking about mary lincoln. She is contextualize and the life and legacy of that former first lady. In selecting a dissertation topic, i had a strong desire to address the value that musical analysis can provide in attracting small and large scale changes in historical memories. In using the musical moralization of Abraham Lincoln as the case study for this exploration i discovered a vast ofertoire, a plethora fascinating historical issues, and a community of scholars who have been exceedingly kind in offering me their time, insight and encouragement. I look forward to continuing my work in this area with a clear sense of the quality and quantity of exceptional scholarship that prior recipients have maintained. I am grateful to the members of the Abraham Lincoln institute and i hope to join you in sharing my gratitude in person at future gatherings. [applause] mr. President. [laughter] my name is bob willard. Ive been president of the Abraham Lincoln institute in the past. I am delighted to be at this, the 17th symposium of the Abraham Lincoln institute. I have attended almost everyone. Every one. Its a little more challenging these days after living in and around washington, we are now happily ensconced in southern california. I mention that because in the past couple of weeks the eyes of the nation were focused on the reagan president ial library, just a few minutes away from our new home. As america said goodbye to first lady nancy reagan, two you would gists claim that without mrs. Reagan there wouldve been no president reagan. Ofm not a real fan counterfactual history forussions, but i realized as long as i can remove or id expressed the same view regarding mary lincoln. That was underscored this morning by sidney blumenthal. Ive attended lots of attendant events like this. I have heard many presentations on mrs. Lincoln from friends and foes of this controversial first lady. But love her or hate her, there is little doubt that Abraham Lincoln, abraham and mary love each other deeply and support each other for better or for worse. And that marys support was an indispensable element of abrahams ambitions. Next speaker knows about more about this than just about anybody. Stacy pratt mcdermott is the author of last years mary lincoln, southern girl, northern woman. This compact volume traces the complex and often tragic life of mary lincoln in four stages. Mary todd, mrs. Lincoln, mrs. President lincoln, and the widow lincoln. I encourage you to read the book. If you want to get an instant impression, let me draw your attention to her blog around the civil war and pop culture. Teacher a resisting portrait of mary lincoln and give a strong thumbs up to sally fields portrayal of the president s wife in Steven Spielbergs lincoln. Harry her equities a sense far beyond very. Expertise extends far beyond mary. Her phd dissertation formed the basis of her 2012 book published by the Ohio University press, the jury in lincolns america. Our colleague and friend writes that her careful study, based extensively based on primary Source Research sheds fresh light on the legal history of the 19th century america, it should come as no surprise that tracy is comfortable with primary material. Since the early 1990s, starting as an intern and working to her current position as assistant director and associate editor, she has been an integral part of papers of Abraham Lincoln project in illinois. This effort aims to identify, index, and make available digitally all the works created by lincoln, as well as material received by him. I first became aware of safetys stacysthe advisory board, dh successful first phase of the project, lincolns legal career. I would be derelict in my duty to the Lincoln Community if i didnt mention that the papers project was caught in the middle of a political budget dispute in the state of illinois. I draw your attention to the editorial in the New York Times last sunday on march 13, and if you were so moved, i so urge you to exercise your right to petition the government for redress of grievances. At this time, and without Public Service announcement behind me, it is my pledge my privilege to invite stacey to the stage, nine by two to give her a warm welcome. You to give for a warm welcome. [applause] ms. Mcdermott it is such a pleasure to be here today. I was so nervous giving a talk at this hallowed building, and then i saw this, they did that, im from the midwest, thats perfect. I feel right at home with this scenery. It called minors right away. You dislike mary lincoln. Perhaps many of you believe that she is really not so bad, but she just suffers by comparison to her mythical godlike husband. Perhaps theyre even some of you who actually like mary lincoln, as i do. Certain thatlutely everyone assembled here today is aware of the fact that mary lincoln is not a popular historical figure. And mary lincolns legacy in this regard is going to be at the forefront of my presentation today. But i am not here to defend mary lincoln. To defend your shortcomings. I am not here to make apologies for her human faults and failings. Im not here to deny that she made mistakes, she sometimes acted badly, and she failed to be a perfect wife, a perfect mother, and a perfect first lady. Rather, my goal here today is to offer some reflection of my personal journey with mary lincoln, in writing my biography of her extraordinary life. To share my perceptions of how some of mary lincolns contemporaries, and some modern historians, have unfairly judged her. And to provide some illuminating Historical Context for her fascinating life. Hopefully, at the end of my presentation, youll understand a little bit of what a nice girl like me is doing in this sordid mary lincoln business. And you will maybe understand mary lincoln a little better, too. Most important like him i hope that you will see mary lincolns humanity. Atn i first began working the lincoln papers, i was taken aback, frankly, by the veteran that many lincoln scholars spewed at mary lincoln. As a new scholar at the time, was reading every i can get my hands on, trying to get up to speed. The mary haters were really just impossible to escape. They dominated the lincoln story of the 19th century, the lincoln historiography of the 20th century, and the symposia and historical conferences that i was attending in the 21st century. Constantly, they presented on the one hand, the kind and honest and good mr. Lincoln, and on the other hand, his hateful, deceitful, hellcat of a wife. This is a delicious dichotomy, i admit it. But it really doesnt do us much help in understanding Abraham Lincoln, his marriage, or his wife. They certainly dont help us understand mary. At the time, it appeared to me that jean baker, a phenomenal historian and really quite adept a livelyr, sheep and biography and a very balanced portrayal of mary lincoln in 1987. At that time, when i was studying lincoln and trying to understand all of this, she seemed to me to be the only one who was interpreting married with any historical nuance at all. Was,bakers mary lincoln to my mind, a real person with good qualities and bad qualities. With angels and with demons within her. But it seemed like nobody was really listening to jean baker in interpreting lincoln or the lincoln marriage. Now, i had read all the biographies i could get my hands on on Abraham Lincoln. And i had read many of the biographies that had been written about mary. It seemed free clear to me that figures per trail of abraham sheoln having chosen mary, was the mother of his four boys, and she was the first lady who was by his side. Yet biographers didnt seem interested in any of the new wants. I will admit, i had just finished a masters degree under the two village of a feminist womens historian. I probably had my own feminist backup. Me it seems pretty clear to that there was a maledominated cadre that generally disliked mary, will cast her in an unflattering way. And a female cadre who mostly likes her, were even lecturer were admired her a great deal. I could not help and recognize this gender gap, and i spent a lot of years try to understand it. But if jean bakers book had been able to bridge that gap, i found it maybe w