The Republican abolitionist played a key role in Abraham Lincoln's battle against slavery, but is absent from Steven Spielberg's film. Michael Shank, a professor at George Mason University, writes: "It is ironic, in fact, that 'Lincoln' opens with a close-up of
black soldiers in conversation with the president. It was Frederick
Douglass who not only recruited black soldiers for the Union army, but
he also ardently advocated to ensure these very black soldiers had
equal pay, were treated equally, especially if captured, and received
the same promotions as white soldiers. Frederick Douglass made this film scene feasible. He found it absolutely inexcusable that
black soldiers who served in the Army during the Civil War – totaling
nearly 200,000 by the end – were being treated as second-class
citizens, despite dedicating and ultimately sacrificing their lives for
the country."
Why Is Frederick Douglass MIA From "Lincoln"?
