When watching Mr Freemans commentaires from the col. ed.of Glory my opinion of Abraham Lincoln's role in the abolition of slavery was modified to place less significance to his role. After watching Spielberg's lincoln was Mr Freemans opinion revised?

Mr Freeman was right in so many ways about misconceptions which people have. The emancipation proclamation did little towards permanent change. Lincolns real legacy concerning slavery is the 13th ammendment.
The Emancipation Memorial depicting a black man at Lincoln's feet was an insult and properly identified as such par Frederick Douglas. It did, however, reflect the world lincoln lived in and worked to change. If a monument were created today I believe that a plus appropriate depiction would be made. Perhaps a slave auctioneer knocked from his perche and the words ignorance, racism , bigotry and cruelty crushed beneath Lincoln's boot. If a black man were needed in this memorial I would see Frederick Douglas standing to Lincoln's right.
If anything, the current memorial further illustrates society of the time and the challenge lincoln faced. I also feel that the designer/scuptor Thomas Ball was well intentioned. His vision was just that, his persoanal view and places him high above the vues of many of his contemporaries.