Lincoln is one of the most researched leaders of all time. Most of us know something about him whether from our time in school, popular literature, research, journals, or the media. He was the leader whose principled stand ended slavery and prevented our nation from dividing in two. We may also recognize his silhouette. He was the tall slender man with the angular portrait and the tall hat. Of course, we all know he was assassinated. For some, their knowledge of Lincoln is limited to these few historical facts.

That is until Steven Spielberg decided to bring Lincoln, artistically, to life on the screen. Who of us, whether we know a lot about Lincoln or not, did not sit spellbound as we watched Daniel Day-Lewis make Lincoln come alive in front of our very eyes? The film is based in part on the book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. With the seal of approval from the extraordinary historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy and their team brought us all into a critical moment in our history. We watched the interplay of conscience and political strategy, deepened by the inner life struggles of the leaders and, even then, governmental drama and tension. May none of us ever be called to bear a moral dilemma of the magnitude portrayed in the film: ending the horror of the war or ending slavery first.

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