Birth of a Nation

Colonel Ben Cameron

Played by Henry Walthall

The noble savior of the South, proud founder of the Ku Klux Klan, and protagonist of the film. A genteel, intelligent family man, Ben, “the Little Colonel,” rises to great achievement when blacks threaten the honor of the South. His character has the greatest emotional range. He smiles broadly, cultivates a special, caring relationship with his youngest sister, and pats and touches his slaves affectionately (Griffith’s code for graciousness). But when war comes, he seethes with patriotic anger against the threat posed to traditional plantation life, expressing this anger by tossing his body around and writhing feverishly. Later, he fumes with racist hatred.

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Elsie Stoneman

Played by Lillian Gish

The idealistic, loyal daughter of the abolitionist leader Austin Stoneman. Elsie lovingly dotes on her family and often kneels deferentially at her father’s feet. Her fragile daguerreotype image helps Ben Cameron through the war. The audiences of 1915 would have been intimately familiar with Elsie’s pale white skin and deep-eyed expressions of innocence, for Gish was the superstar stage and screen actress of her time. Like today’s film celebrities, Gish conjured up a “type” for filmgoers: a frail, ethereal, pure-hearted beauty. Elsie’s presence floats angelically over the film.

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The Honorable Austin Stoneman

Played by Ralph Lewis

The abolitionist leader from the North who wields power over Reconstruction after Lincoln’s assassination, and the antagonist of the film. A bookish man who often holds meetings in his library, Stoneman is portrayed as physically flawed and lacking in moral character. He limps and walks with a cane, wears a wig, and lusts after his mulatto housekeeper.

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Silas Lynch

Played by George Siegmann

The mulatto politician and overseer of day-to-day operations during Reconstruction who becomes South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor. Portrayed as evil from the start because of his mixed-race parentage, Lynch often spies on Elsie or lusts after other women, giving sideways glances and clutching his hat anxiously. His character represents the stereotype of savage sexuality in people of African heritage.

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Flora Cameron

Played by Mae Marsh as a teen and by Violet Wilkey as a child

The excitable, youngest Cameron sister who grows into a teenager during the course of the film. Often called “Little Sister,” Flora is at first impishly playful. As she matures over the course of the war, she serves as a metaphor for the sea changes swamping the South. She adores her older brother, Ben, and faces the ravages of the war bravely with an increasingly haggard appearance and a careworn face.

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Margaret Cameron

Played by Miriam Cooper

The elder Cameron sister who eventually falls for Phil Stoneman. Trained in the etiquette of the old South, Margaret, a quiet, round-faced flower, moves with dignity. Her facial expressions are small and subtle but reveal a great deal of emotion behind her reserved façade.

Phil Stoneman

Played by Elmer Clifton

The eldest Stoneman brother who takes a liking to Margaret Cameron. A respectful, top-hatted, mustached man with a quiet dignity, Phil slowly courts Margaret. In battle, he rises to become one of the most successful Union leaders.

Tod Stoneman

Played by Robert Harron

The youngest Stoneman brother. Tod enlivens the screen as a wildly expressive, playful fop. Thin and energetic, Tod stands in strong contrast to the reserved demeanor of his older brother. Upon his visit to Piedmont, he resumes his boyish roughhousing with Duke.

Gus

Played in blackface by white actor Walter Long

An emancipated slave who lusts after Flora. Gus becomes an enemy of the Klan after pursuing Flora to her death.

Dr. Cameron

Played by Spottiswoode Aitken

The aging head of the Cameron family. Dr. Cameron is thin, white-haired, and reserved. He reads the newspapers to his family, disseminating national information. Essentially powerless in the war, he nevertheless reigns over his family with patriarchal beneficence.

Wade Cameron

Played by George Beranger

The mustached, middle Cameron brother. Wade is little seen before he goes off to war. His death serves as another harsh reminder of war for the Camerons, who mourn him back at home.

Duke Cameron

Played by Maxfield Stanley

The youngest Cameron brother. Duke returns Tod Stoneman’s affection and playfulness, and his vibrancy around the Cameron homestead emphasizes his youth.

Mrs. Cameron

Played by Josephine Crowell

The stout, stoic wife of Dr. Cameron. Mrs. Cameron, with her tightly pulled-back hair, silently serves as a pillar of support for the Cameron girls at home. Mostly, she worries and mourns, especially over the loss of her three sons “to the cause.”

President Abraham Lincoln

Played by Joseph Henabery

A god among men, referred to as the “Great Heart.” Lincoln genuinely acts for the benefit of all. When he rises from his chair, he stands above the surrounding representatives, who stay back at a detached, respectful distance. His tall stature indicates his moral superiority. Lincoln moves slowly and with dignity and looks in the distance as if he’s seeing far into the future. His death signals a devastating turning point for the South.

Lydia Brown

Played in blackface by white actress Mary Alden

The Stonemans’ housekeeper. A lustful mulatto, Lydia becomes sexually aroused whenever she overhears strong orders being given in Stoneman’s library. She licks her fingers, beats her breast, and eventually becomes Stoneman’s mistress.

Mammy

Played in blackface by white actress Jenny Lee

The faithful servant to the Camerons. A large, rotund housekeeper, Mammy moans loudly and makes broad gestures.