President Woodrow Wilson views Birth of a Nation in Washington D.C.

Arranged by director D.W. Griffith, the private showing at the White House is meant to smooth the way for the film’s distribution throughout the country. Despite its many inaccuracies, Wilson, a former history professor, reputedly enjoys the film, noting, “It was like history written with lightning.” The film premieres in Los Angeles, California, on February 8, 1915.