The Crisis was based on the 1901 historical fiction best-seller of the same title by American novelist Winston Churchill, not to be confused with the more famous British statesman who later wrote The World Crisis about World War I. During the film's run, Grossett & Dunlap published a new "photoplay edition of [Churchill's] The Crisis, which is illustrated with scenes from the screen drama," the 21 October 1916 Motography noted.
       According to the 2 September 1916 Motion Picture News, "a majority of the scenes [were] filmed on historic ground, in localities called for in [Churchill's] book, including St. Louis, Missouri, and Vicksburg, Mississippi." Battle scenes used "the entire membership of the Mississippi National Guard, including officers, et cetera, who staged the siege and defense of Vicksburg on the same ground where the historic engagements occurred over half a century ago." Thousands of men and horses participated. Also, "scenes in and near Vicksburg, including the Vicksburg courthouse, slave market, etc. are shown in all historic detail. Beautiful southern homes...are shown." For his realistic impersonation of Abraham Lincoln, Sam D. Drane "studied and faithfully portrayed" what was known about the president's "personal characteristics" To add to the authentic atmosphere, the U.S. War Department loaned the Selig company Lincoln's dispatch box.
       Scenes of the "Carvel" home were filmed at a homestead outside of St. Louis, where African-Americans were hired to perform the roles of servants, the 4 November 1916 Motography noted.
       The film opens with an image of the Confederate and United States flags together, and then an image of a kneeling enslaved person being emancipated by "Abraham Lincoln."
       According to a pre-production news item, Lionel Atwell was to play the part of "Clarence Colfax." Matt Snyder, who played "Colonel Carvel," was, according to publicity items, an 82-year-old Civil War veteran who had fought in the actual battle of Vicksburg in 1863.
       A private showing of the film was given at the Strand Theatre in New York City on 29 September 1916 to a large number of invited guests. Another private showing was held in Minneapolis, MN, on 22 December 1916, and the first public performance of the film was given there on 24 December 1916.
       Sherman-Elliott, Inc. released The Crisis in the western half of the United States and sold the film on a state rights basis in the East. For example, the Masterpiece Film Corp. of Missouri purchased the rights for Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the 25 November 1916 Motion Picture News noted. Various sources listed the film at different lengths, implying that The Crises was edited for different parts of the country. A copy viewed by the AFI Catalog was 87 minutes long.
       According to the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database, this film is extant.