Lincoln error accuses state of being pro-slavery

A glaring historical inaccuracy has been spotted in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’, putting the state of Connecticut on the wrong side of the slavery debate.

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Error... Lincoln wrongly depicts Connecticut congressmen as being pro-slavery (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
The Oscar nominated film wrongly depicts Connecticut congressmen as voting against the 13th Amendment to outlaw slavery, when, in reality all four of the state’s representatives voted in favour of the abolition in January 1865.

The mistake was spotted by current Connecticut congressman Joe Courtney as he watched the film over the weekend.

Courtney reported hearing fellow audience members' surprise at the revelation about their state. “I obviously had the same reaction", said Courtney. “It was really bugging me.” The politician then contacted the Congressional Research Service, who confirmed his suspicions.

Although Courtney praised the film’s acting and cinematography, he said artistic license did not permit it to put Connecticut on the wrong side of history, particularly on an issue as powerful as slavery.

The issue prompted the 59 year-old congressman to write a letter directly to Spielberg, asking the director: “How could congressmen from Connecticut - a state that supported President Lincoln and lost thousands of her sons fighting against slavery on the Union side of the Civil War - have been on the wrong side of history?”

Courtney has asked that the mistake be corrected before ‘Lincoln’s’ DVD release. Dreamworks, the studio behind the film, are yet to issue a response.

‘Lincoln’, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones currently leads this year’s Oscars with 12 nominations including Best Director and Best Film.