Lincoln · written by Tony Kushner · 2012

Colfax casts his own aye and announces that the amendment has passed with a two-vote margin.

Scene 85 of 102 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act three

Climax
Five-Act Structure: Climax
The Clerk Of The House
Schuyler Colfax
George Pendleton

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:50 into a 2:06 film

The story so farBefore scene 85

In the final winter of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln risks a fragile coalition and the chance of an early peace to force an amendment abolishing slavery through a divided House of Representatives.

Scenes 1–7
The reelected president balances military command, popular affection and a household wounded by grief.
Scenes 8–13
Lincoln needs a durable constitutional abolition measure and commits to passing it before the term ends.
Scenes 14–16
Radical allies and discreet patronage operatives join the campaign as the amendment enters House debate.
Scenes 17–84
Lincoln bargains, delays peace commissioners, confronts family costs and defends the vote against postponement.
Just before
Scene 82
Grant and Robert wait as officers mark the growing vote tally on the back of a map.
Scene 83
The House roll call continues through a rapid sequence of ayes and nays.
Scene 84
Lincoln and Tad study a book of animal and insect varieties while waiting for the result.
Scene 85
This scene

85INT. THE HOUSE CHAMBER AND BALCONY - AFTERNOON

The room is quiet and tense.

THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

The roll call concludes, voting is

completed, now -

SCHUYLER COLFAX

Mr. Clerk, please call my name, I

want to cast a vote.

GEORGE PENDLETON

I object! The Speaker doesn't vote!

SCHUYLER COLFAX

The Speaker may vote if he so

chooses.

GEORGE PENDLETON

It is highly unusual, sir -

SCHUYLER COLFAX

This isn't usual, Mr. Pendleton,

this is history.

THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

How does Mr. Schuyler Colfax vote?

SCHUYLER COLFAX

(a look of surprise that this needs to be asked, then, stating the OBVIOUS:)

Aye, of course.

Laughter in the chamber. The Clerk tallies the vote, then passes the recorded vote to the Speaker. There's absolute silence.

In the balcony, Mary checks her own tally, not quite believing it.

SCHUYLER COLFAX (CONT'D)

The final vote: eight absent or not

voting, fifty six votes against,

one hundred nineteen votes for.

With a margin of two votes -