February 7th, 2013
12:57 AM ET

Congressman says 'Lincoln' depicts Connecticut vote erroneously

Watching the movie "Lincoln" on Saturday, Rep. Joe Courtney was perplexed during the climactic scene.

Two of his predecessors from nearly 150 years ago - lawmakers representing the state of Connecticut in 1865 - are seen voting against the Constitutional amendment to end slavery.

Courtney asked the Congressional Research Service for the records, and sure enough, all four Representatives from Connecticut voted "yes" on the 13th Amendment.

But in the film, we see the fictional lawmakers Augustus Benjamin and Arthur Bentleigh of Connecticut each vote "Nay."

"I could not believe my own eyes and ears," Courtney said. In a letter of protest to director Steven Spielberg, he said that although he thinks overall the film is tremendous and compelling, "placing the state of Connecticut on the wrong side of the historic and divisive fight over slavery is a distortion of easily verifiable facts."

He suggested the movie be changed before it is released on DVD on February 26.

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Filed under: Politics • U.S.
soundoff (5 Responses)
  1. richard in houston

    Sounds like his beef is with Bill O'Rielly. He wrote the book the move is based on if I am not mistaken.

    February 7, 2013 at 3:20 pm | Report abuse |
  2. richard in houston

    My mistake. I apologize. It was written by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

    February 7, 2013 at 3:23 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Chris

    Really, tell this idiot it's only a movie. He needs to go to Washington and work at least once in his miserable life. No Pension, No Healthcare (Pay Cobra Like the Rest of Americans) Nothing for you roach boy!

    February 7, 2013 at 6:56 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Jim

    If Spielberg changed something like that, he makes the author of the book look bad. I've been reading that book, and Thaddeus Stevens, played by Tommy Lee Jones, is only mentioned in a few pages.

    February 8, 2013 at 10:48 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Thomas

    Yet another attempt to bring the state of CT down to other's levels of integrity, shame on you!

    February 8, 2013 at 11:09 pm | Report abuse |
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