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However, the movie seems to show that Lincoln was always committed to the abolition of slavery. This was not always the case. By the time of the movie Lincoln was certainly committed to the prohibition of slavery. It also gives the false impression that the civil war was fought on the issue of slavery. In this way, the movie and Spielberg missed a golden opportunity to promote a greater understanding of the origins and the course of the Civil War. Lincoln started the war to stop the break-up of the Union, slavery was only one of many issues that divided the north and the south. The war was not a result of the President’s efforts to end the institution of slavery and indeed in the early 1860s he was prepared to accept that it was up to the individual states to decide on the matter<ref> Manning, Chandra, "The Shifting Terrain of Attitudes toward Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation", Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 34 (Winter 2013), 18–39</ref>. However, during dark periods of the civil war when it seemed that the Confederates might prevail he came to a belief that the Union could not survive without a genuine commitment to freedom and liberty. It was only in 1864 that Lincoln was fully committed to the abolition of slavery and he made it one of his key slogans during his re-election campaign in that year. The abolition of slavery became the ‘second purpose’ of the Civil War<ref> Goodwin, p 234</ref>. This is not really shown in the movie. Moreover, the movie gives the false impression of the situation on the ground. In fact, the institution of slavery was already collapsing in the south as many African-Americans were simply leaving their plantations and moving north <ref> Zilversmit, Arthur "Lincoln and the Problem of Race: A Decade of Interpretations". Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 2 (11) (1980) 22</ref>. This is not shown in the movie.

The casting of Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln was an inspired one. He could capture the character of Lincoln. ‘Honest Abe’ was a complex man, he was in many ways an ordinary man and was genuinely modest and self-effacing. The movie also shows how Lincoln loved to tell a story and was a great story-teller. Day-Lewis also captures the other side of Lincoln the passionate orator and the fiery idealist who becomes convinced that the Civil War had a higher purpose and America a great destiny. Day-Lewis also captures the physical characteristics of Lincoln. Like Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis is tall, lean and has a tenor voice. A voice that was pleasing and critical to Lincoln’s success as a politician. The Anglo-Irish actor studied the appearance and mannerisms of the US President and this in large measure accounts for his ability to portray Lincoln so well. The movie also presents the character of Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, largely accurately. Sally Fields was like Lincoln’s wife as she too was petite. In the movie Lincoln’s wife tells him that she has only made him unhappy and that she was made. There is some convincing evidence that shows that Mrs Lincoln had mental health issues. However, there are some historians who argue that she was also a helpmate of Lincoln and gave him sound political advice. She is also shown in the movie, correctly as urging her third son not to join in the army. The Lincolns had already lost two sons in the war. Lincoln could get his son a position on the movie shows the Lincoln’s third son serving in the army of Grant and being present at the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. This is all historically correct.

==How accurate was Lincoln==