re: Should I go watch this Lincoln flick?

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yeah he does sound like a racist

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Oh, there's no doubt he was racist. He also did not advocate equal rights for the slaves. By today's standards, he'd be considered horribly racist and completely out of step with modern thought. But there's a huge gap between "not a racist" and "thinks it's okay to hold people in bondage". Lincoln fell in the gap.

Jackson is interesting merely because he was psychotic. Anyone nicknamed after the piece of wood he used to carry around to bludgeon people with is someone to be avoided at all costs. I actually find Martin Van Buren more interesting, if by interesting we mean "completely devoid of ethical or moral standards". We think we know crafty politicians now, they ain't got nothing on the Little Magician, who managed to become president despite no one actually liking or honestly supporting him.

I do agree that the antebellum period is incredibly fascinating. Henry Clay is probably my personal hero.