One hundred fifty years ago on Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.
To commemorate, Connecticut's Second District Congressman Joe Courtney issued a resource guide for students that details Connecticut's part in passing the amendment.
The guide also corrects a glaring mistake in Steven Spielberg's 2013 movie "Lincoln."
In the climactic scene of Steven Spielberg's movie "Lincoln," the U.S. House of Representatives votes on roll call whether to ratify the 13th amendment to the constitution.
When Courtney saw the movie, he was stunned when two of the four congressmen from Connecticut in the movie voted against the amendment.
Courtney asked the Congressional Research Office to dig up the voting record on the 13th amendment, and indeed, the movie got it wrong: all four of Connecticut's representatives voted to abolish slavery.
Courtney said one of the congressmen, Democrat James English from New Haven, voted for the amendment, despite putting his own political career in jeopardy. "[English] crossed the aisle to vote with the republican majority, and he actually noted the fact that this was a politically risky decision on his part," Courtney said. "I stated, I suppose I am politically ruined, but that day was the happiest of my life."
"Lincoln" screenwriter Tony Kushner later admitted the error, but Courtney wanted to set the record straight, and earlier this week released a resource guide for students that clears up the voting mistake in the movie.
The guide is free, and contains biographical information and other details on the Connecticut delegation’s part in passing the 13th Amendment.
"This approach works perfectly with the proposed state social studies frameworks,"said State of Connecticut Social Studies Consultant Stephen Armstrong. "In our frameworks, we want to utilize Connecticut and local history to help to tell the larger story of United States history. By utilizing the materials the Congressman has provided, teachers and students can utilize Connecticut examples to enhance their understanding of American attitudes during this era."
You can download a PDF of the guide here.
