How Accurate Is Lincoln (2012)?

Updated 2026-09-23

A close study of one real political fight, with a few invented votes and a debated emphasis

Lincoln (2012) is one of the more accurate historical films of its decade. It covers a single real episode, the House of Representatives' vote on the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery on 31 January 1865, and most of its characters, deals and arguments are drawn from the historical record. The historian Allen Guelzo called it about 90 percent on the mark.

Its best-known error is small but embarrassing: it shows two Connecticut congressmen voting against the amendment, when all of Connecticut's members voted for it. Its most serious critics, including Eric Foner, argued less about details than about emphasis.

What the film gets right

The vote. The amendment had passed the Senate in 1864 but failed in the House. In January 1865 the Lincoln administration pushed it through the lame-duck House, winning over enough Democrats to pass it 119 to 56 on 31 January. The film's picture of vote-counting, persuasion and patronage is broadly right.

The deals. The film's lobbyists working for votes, and the promise of government jobs to departing Democrats, come from the historical record. The historian Michael Vorenberg recognised details, including the dealings with Democrats and the vote of Alexander Coffroth, that could only have come from his study of the amendment.

The peace commissioners. Confederate commissioners really were on their way to discuss peace, and Lincoln really did send the House a carefully worded note saying that, so far as he knew, there were no peace commissioners in the city. They met him at Hampton Roads days after the vote.

Lincoln himself. Daniel Day-Lewis's high-pitched voice, storytelling habit and awkward walk are close to contemporary descriptions of the real man, a point historians singled out for praise.

What the film gets wrong or changes

Connecticut. In the climactic roll call, two of Connecticut's members vote no. According to the Congressional Globe, all four Connecticut representatives voted yes. Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut raised it in 2013, and the screenwriter Tony Kushner acknowledged the change, saying it was made to show how narrowly the amendment passed; the two no-voters were given fictional names.

The risk to abolition. Eric Foner argued that the film grossly exaggerates the possibility that the war might have ended with slavery still intact by January 1865. He also noted that the amendment originated not with Lincoln but with a petition campaign organised in 1864 by the Women's National Loyal League.

Black Americans' role. Kate Masur of Northwestern University argued that the film reduces African Americans to observers of their own emancipation, leaving out Black activists who pushed for abolition. Frederick Douglass, for example, does not appear.

The opening scene. Soldiers reciting the Gettysburg Address back to Lincoln is a film device. Harold Holzer, a consultant on the film, questioned whether soldiers would have known the speech by heart in 1865.

The people around Lincoln

Thaddeus Stevens, the radical Republican played by Tommy Lee Jones, was real and led the fight in the House. The film implies a relationship with his housekeeper, Lydia Hamilton Smith; contemporaries gossiped about it, but it cannot be proved.

Mary Todd Lincoln's grief over the death of their son Willie in 1862 and her fear for Robert, who joined General Grant's staff early in 1865, are real. The screenplay was loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography Team of Rivals.

Frequently asked questions

Is the movie Lincoln historically accurate?

Largely. It depicts a real episode, the House vote on the Thirteenth Amendment on 31 January 1865, with real people and real political dealing. Historians have pointed out errors such as Connecticut's vote and argued about its emphasis, but many praised it.

Did Connecticut vote against the 13th Amendment?

No. All four of Connecticut's House members voted for it. The film shows two voting no, and the screenwriter later acknowledged the change.

What was the real vote on the 13th Amendment?

The House passed it 119 to 56 on 31 January 1865, just over the two-thirds majority needed. It had already passed the Senate in 1864.

Did Lincoln really buy votes for the 13th Amendment?

His administration and its allies used persuasion and the promise of government jobs to win over Democrats, as the film shows. Historians have found evidence of such dealing, though outright cash bribery is not proven.

Was Thaddeus Stevens in a relationship with Lydia Smith?

Possibly. Stevens lived with his housekeeper Lydia Hamilton Smith for many years and people gossiped about them, but the relationship cannot be proved.

What do historians criticise about Lincoln?

Eric Foner argued it exaggerates the chance that slavery would survive the war and gives Lincoln credit for an amendment that began with an abolitionist petition campaign. Kate Masur argued it sidelines Black Americans' role in ending slavery.

Further reading

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Related guides

• Best Books on the American Civil War
• Best Books on American Slavery and Civil Rights
• How Accurate Is The Patriot?

Sources consulted

• Wikipedia, 'Lincoln (film)'
• NBC Connecticut, 'Courtney Asks Spielberg to Set Lincoln Record Straight'
• NBC Washington, 'Lincoln Screenwriter Concedes Inaccuracy'
• Wikipedia, 'Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution'

Researched with AI and verified against mainstream scholarship and the cited sources on this page. See our methodology and corrections policy.

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