Continuity: Near the end of "The Lees of Old Virginia," Richard Henry Lee is seated on a water fountain, and then stands up. In the following shot from behind, he is back on the fountain and stands up again.

Deliberate "mistake": In the film, Martha Jefferson visits Thomas in Philadelphia. While this is factually inaccurate (she was actually at home recovering from a miscarriage), it was changed for the sake of drama.

Factual error: John Dickinson is shown desperately trying to block the Declaration right up to the final vote. In reality, however, Dickinson was not present at the final vote on the resolution; having been kept at home so as not to kill the Declaration.

Factual error: When Thomas McKean states that "In my case, hanging won't be so bad," this is incorrect. The signer Benjamin Harrison said that.

Factual error: During the alterations frenzy, Reverend Witherspoon states, "Nowhere do you mention the Supreme Being." and proposes the addition of the phrase "With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence." While this clause actually is an addition to Jefferson's final draft, the reasoning, as shown in the film, is wrong.

Visible crew/equipment: At the end of 'Sit Down John' as Adams is walking out of the Assembly Room, you can see a crew light reflected in the tally/vote board behind him. It's also rather bright in a room, at night, that is only supposed to be lit by candles.

Factual error: Just before the signing, Stephen Hopkins states that he wants to "remember each man's face as he signs." The filmmakers screwed up. William Ellery, a delegate from Rhode Island, where Hopkins was from, said this. Ellery was not shown in the movie.

Factual error: The real Caesar Rodney was nowhere near as decrepit as portrayed in the film. Additionally, he was not gnomelike, but was tall and thin as reported by John Adams in a letter to Abigail. Also, even though he did have skin cancer on his cheek which he covered with a scarf, he was not dying of it, and in fact, lived for eight years after the signing, and indeed until after the Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American Independence. Rodney was actually suffering that summer, but it was from asthma exacerbated by the heat "in foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy Philadelphia." Nonetheless, the reason for his absence from Congress was not his ill-health. As head of the Delaware Militia, he had been called away to deal with a Tory riot against Independence.

Continuity: Look very closely when Mr. Thomson is taking the vote by a show of hands on whether or not to make the vote on independence unanimous. Of the delegates who say nay, Thomson points to the direction of Adams first, however, Hopkins is the first delegate shown. Thomson points to the direction of Hopkins last, but Adams is the last delegate shown. Maybe this part was reversed, or the filmmakers screwed up.

Factual error: When Secretary Thomson says that all members are present with the following exceptions: Paine, Gerry, Samuel Adams, Morton, Wythe, Richard H. Lee, New Jersey. More were missing: Carter Braxton (VA), William Ellery (RI), William Floyd and Philip Livingston (all NY), Francis Lee (VA), most of the Pennsylvania delegates, Matthew Thornton (NH), William Williams (CT), New Jersey came later, and 2 were missing: Abraham Clark and John Hart.