Gaffes

When the boat hits the dam, the front fence loses the bottom board through which a pig can be seen falling. The next shot shows the front fence completely gone.

When Crimmin and the other politicians initially walk into the Lincoln home, there are seven in the group. However, in the proverbial smoke-filled room, there are eight.

Robert E. Lee is shown wearing a uniform while leading the detachment of Marines that captured John Brown. Lee had been on leave when he was suddenly called back to duty. He led the detachment while wearing civilian clothes.

Lincoln's House Divided Against Itself speech occurred when he accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. Senator and not at any of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.

A sign in the window says "Stuart and Lincoln, Counsellors At Law". The word counsellor would be the right spelling in England, but the American spelling is counselor with just one L.

Near the end of the movie, Raymond Massey is seen tying a string around a chest. On the chest it reads: "A. Lincoln- White House." This is factually incorrect. During Lincoln's time, the White House was known as the Executive Mansion. The term, White House was not coined until the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, some forty years after the Lincoln Presidency. In fact, the Executive Mansion was known colloquially as the White House ever since the British burned Washington in the War of 1812, and the Mansion was repainted white in order to cover up burn marks. Therefore, the label shown in the movie is not so inaccurate. However, the name was not formally adopted until Theodore Roosevelt had official stationery printed with White House embossed at the top.

In one scene, Lincoln is hanging an election poster reading "William Henry Harrison for President, John Tyler for Vice-President". That did not exist, and it wasn't until next election year, 1844, when the Presidential candidate would have only one running mate on the ticket.

As Lincoln is leaving the station on his way to Washington for the inauguration, and the crowd is crying out, "Goodbye, Mr. Lincoln," one of the extras clearly yells out, "Goodbye, Mr. Massey."

When results for the 1860 election are being received, West Virginia is listed on the the state-by-state tally board. West Virginia didn't become a state until 1863, when it broke off from Virginia after that state had seceded from the Union.

When Lincoln breaks his engagement to Mary Todd in 1837, he looks at a flag with 22 stars, The only time the American flag had 22 stars was in 1819. The number of states increased to 23 with the admission of Maine one year later in 1820. In 1837 there were 26 states in the Union.

The Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in 1858 - one year before John Brown attempted to seize the Harpers Ferry arsenal.

The Lincolns arrive at the Springfield Depot while a band is playing "The Battle Cry of Freedom". The song was written in 1862, a year after Lincoln was inaugurated as president.

The song "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is played and sung by a choral group in the last scene as he is going to Washington to become President, in 1861. The song was written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861, but after Lincoln had been inaugurated and the Civil War had started.

The Lincoln/Douglas Debate depicted in the movie occurs in Springfield on present day 6th Street by the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and the Old State Capitol. There was never a Lincoln/Douglas Debate in Springfield. There were a total of 7 Lincoln/Douglas Debates in Illinois in 1858 which occurred in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and Alton.