The Great Emancipator Hits the Big Screen

This year marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. Coinciding with this monumental anniversary is the release of Steven Spielberg‘s new film Lincoln, which chronicles President Abraham Lincoln‘s struggles in the days leading up to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. Considered one of the most important documents in American history, the Emancipation Proclamation proclaimed all slaves in the Confederate states to be forever free. The proclamation made abolition a central goal of the Civil War and by 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, abolishing slavery in the entire nation.

In honor of the film’s release, a group of users created the Lincoln (2012 film) project to document the family trees of all the historical figures depicted in the film and their actor counterparts. They’ve had great success refining the historical parts of the tree, especially the fascinating genealogy of President Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks. Their collaborative efforts have resulted in the wonderful bridging of this significant part of American history with popular culture as they build and connect the trees of the films actors to the historical figure they are portraying. For example, actor Tommy Lee Jones portrays Republican leader Thaddeus Stevens in the film. Did you know that Stevens’ is also his 11th cousin 8 times removed?

Join the project to help find more connections!

View the Lincoln (2012 film) Project