It's Lincoln for the defense in his first murder trial, an 1838 courtroom battle that set him against longtime rival Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln's law office and his ill-fated engagement to Mary Owens are also dramatized.

Lincoln learns the art of war in hopes that one day Americans will lay down their swords and shields and study war no more. The story spans the Civil War from 1861 through the Fall of Richmond in April 1865.

The Civil War over, Lincoln plans Reconstruction with his cabinet and General Grant. Meanwhile, Lincoln suffers unsettling dreams and omens. Lincoln and Mary Todd spend the afternoon of April 14, 1865 looking ahead to a peaceful future.