My fascination with the Civil War has only deepened over the years, especially as my genealogy research has revealed just how many branches of my own tree were touched by the conflict. On line after line, I’ve discovered ancestors and relatives who served the Union, turning names, regiments, battles and dates in history books into something much more personal.

But to fully understand the Civil War we also have to understand the America that existed before the first shots were fired. On June 21, 1788 when the American Constitution was ratified, the Founding Fathers pushed the issue of slavery off of their plates down to future generations allowing slavery to legally exist in the first 13 Colonies. It wasn’t until April 15, 1861 when the country exploded into war over State’s rights of succession and as the war drug on, the institution of slavery, that America examined it’s role in the enslavement of black people.

“12 Years a Slave” directed by Steve McQueen with an all-star cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and a break-out role for Lupita Nyong’o as Patsy, is a masterpiece. I have watched it four times now and each viewing leaves me with a deeper understanding of the brutality and reality of this period of time.

The movie is based on the true story of Solomon Northrup, a free black man who was kidnapped from New York and sold away from his wife and children into the deep south of Louisiana and enslavement. “12 Years a Slave” covers the years 1841 to 1853. It should be noted that it would be another 8 years after Solomon Northrup is returned to his former ‘free’ status that we witness the outbreak of the Civil War and another 4 years beyond that before enslaved people in America are legally freed.

What is so profound about this movie is the unflinching and brutally accurate view of life in Antebellum America. The movie takes us into a world with an honesty that is often difficult to watch but impossible to dismiss.

One scene (among many) that has left a lasting impression on me is when Michael Fassbender, who plays ‘Epps’, a slave holder is talking to his enslaved people. They have arrived back at the plantation after being hired out for work (free income for Epps) and while Epps is speaking with Solomon Northrup, he casually rests his elbow on the head of a young boy. The idea that enslaved people were merely property is driven home in this one interaction.

Highly recommend a watch, not only for the incredible acting, stunning visuals, and powerful storyline, but also to more fully understand the sometimes grim reality of American history.