American Civil War
The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln
On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington in the middle of the night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore
February 2013 |
By Daniel Stashower
Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball
What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?
January 15, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
That Time 150 Years Ago When Thousands of People Watched Baseball on Christmas Day
During the Civil War, two regiments faced off as spectators, possibly as many as 40,000, sat and watched
December 21, 2012 |
By John Hanc
Document Deep Dive: Emancipation Proclamation
When freeing the slaves 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln traded in his famous lyricism for a dry, legal tone. Harold Holzer explains why
December 19, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Looking at the Battle of Gettysburg Through Robert E. Lee’s Eyes
Anne Kelly Knowles, the winner of Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards, uses GIS technology to change our view of history
December 2012 |
By Tony Horwitz
Mr. Lincoln Goes to Hollywood
Steven Spielberg, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Tony Kushner talk about what it takes to wrestle an epic presidency into a feature film
November 2012 |
By Roy Blount Jr.
The Civil War in Black and White
A collection of historic front pages shows how civilians experienced and read about the war
January 10, 2012 |
By Jeanne Maglaty
The Unknown Contributions of Brits in the American Civil War
Historian Amanda Foreman discusses how British citizens took part in the war between the Union and the Confederacy
December 09, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
The Sentimental Ballad of the Civil War
Forget “Dixie,” it was one New Yorker’s “Home Sweet Home” that was the song most beloved by Union and Confederate soldiers
November 30, 2011 |
By John Hanc
November 1861: Flare Ups in the Chain of Command
As Union generals came and left, personalities clashed and Southern farmers set fire to their fields
November 2011 |
By David Zax
Civil War Veterans Come Alive in Audio and Video Recordings
Deep in the collections of the Library of Congress are ghostly images and voices of Union and Confederate soldiers
October 05, 2011 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
Scattered Actions: October 1861
While the generals on both sides deliberated, troops in blue and gray fidgeted
October 2011 |
By David Zax
September 1861: Settling in for a Long War
During this month, the civil war expands to Kentucky and West Virginia, and President Lincoln rejects an attempt at emancipation
September 2011 |
By David Zax
The Battle of Bull Run: The End of Illusions
Both North and South expected victory to be glorious and quick, but the first major battle signaled the long and deadly war to come
August 2011 |
By Ernest B. Furgurson
Fort Monroe’s Lasting Place in History
Famous for accepting escaped slaves during the Civil War, the Virginia base also has a history that heralds back to Jamestown
July 05, 2011 |
By Andrew Lawler
Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day
Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, American slavery came to an end and a celebration of freedom was born
June 16, 2011 |
By Kenneth C. Davis
June 1861: Anticipating the Onslaught of the Civil War
The "Races at Philippi" and Virginia is split in two and more from what happened in the Civil War in June 1861
June 2011 |
By David Zax
Women Spies of the Civil War
Hundreds of women served as spies during the Civil War. Here’s a look at six who risked their lives in daring and unexpected ways
May 09, 2011 |
By Cate Lineberry
Elizabeth Van Lew: An Unlikely Union Spy
A member of the Richmond elite, one woman defied convention and the Confederacy and fed secrets to the Union during the Civil War
May 05, 2011 |
By Cate Lineberry
