Honoring The 200th Anniversary Of His Birth, National Geographic Channel Presents THE REAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Personal letters, archived newspapers and expert historians reveal the life of the iconic president and John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill him.

"... subtract Lincoln from the equation of American history and the American Civil War, and I'm not sure we'd be here today to talk about it..." - Allen Guelzo, Professor of the Civil War Era, Gettysburg College

The Real Abraham Lincoln premieres Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Both campaigned for change, and just weeks after President Barack Obama took that historic oath with Abraham Lincoln's Bible, National Geographic Channel celebrates Lincoln's 200th birthday with a two-hour film honoring his life and presidency.  On Saturday, February 14, 2009, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, The Real Abraham Lincoln examines his fascinating story, bringing to life one of the most iconic presidents in history while simultaneously investigating the man responsible for his untimely death.

The feature-film-quality docudrama traces Lincoln's journey: from his early years growing up in the country, witnessing the cruelty of slavery; as a rising politician who faced disappointment after losing two U.S. Senate races; his emotional struggle to cope with the loss of two sons; and of course, his rise to the presidency, his struggle to preserve the Union during the Civil War and his emancipation of American slaves.  Then, we'll examine the events that unfolded that fateful night at Ford's Theatre and probe John Wilkes Booth's assassination plot.  Culling from archival photos, Lincoln's personal letters, excerpts from Booth's own diary, and with the help of expert historians, the film reveals the dramatic lives of both the famous president and his infamous assassin.

Lincoln once wrote, "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God, cannot long retain it."  As Richard Norton Smith, Scholar in Residence at George Mason University, describes Lincoln's life and times, "The story of Lincoln and ultimately the greatness of Lincoln is that long before he died he managed to outgrow the racist society that produced him."

It was Lincoln's fight to unite the country and abolish slavery during the Civil War that made him famous, but it was also what led to his demise.  Just five days after the Civil War ended, Lincoln was shot.  The Real Abraham Lincoln reveals how John Wilkes Booth based his assassination plot on a Shakespearean drama, and how he used his knowledge of Ford's Theatre to succeed.  Then, we'll join one of the largest manhunts in history to track Booth's escape route through Maryland to the Virginia barn where he was killed while being captured.

The film recreates the funeral procession that began just six days after Lincoln's assassination.  A funeral train traveled more than 1,600 miles from Washington to New York to Chicago before reaching Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, Ill., allowing countless Americans to pay their respects to the fallen president.

To this day, Abraham Lincoln continues to be a symbol of equality and an inspiration to world leaders, including our current president, Barack Obama.

The Real Abraham Lincoln is produced by Vidicom Media for the National Geographic Channel in association with ARTE, NDR, EU MEDIA funding and the Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Film Fund. For Vidicom Media producer is Peter Bardehle and director/writer is Wilfried Hauke.  For the National Geographic Channel producers are Peter Nissen and Susie Ryan, senior vice president of special programming is Michael Cascio and executive vice president of content is Steve Burns.