Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

The Confederate Army loses momentum in early 1865, particularly after the seizure of Savannah. The House of Representatives approves the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery throughout the United States. A strong thunderstorm in Washington City frightens Elizabeth, hitting on the eve of Mr. Lincoln’s inauguration events. Elizabeth tries not to interpret the storm as a bad omen but refuses to attend the inauguration parade with Emma. Instead, she works on Mrs. Lincoln’s dress for the inauguration ball, listening eagerly to Emma’s reports on the parade while teaching her new sewing techniques. A Battalion of Colored Soldiers marched in the parade, bringing Elizabeth and Emma great pride. Emma speaks passionately about the inauguration, retelling Elizabeth about Mr. Lincoln’s encouraging and inspirational speech about putting an end to slavery, which he firmly states to be the cause of the Civil War. Although the war hasn’t yet ended, Mr. Lincoln looks forward to the future, reunifying the United States and building the country into a world leader. Emma reports that the sun shone on Mr. Lincoln as he spoke, which she interprets as God’s blessing. Mr. Lincoln asserted that the Civil War is God’s punishment for the existence of American slavery. He ends his remarks with promises of peace and recovery.