CIVIL WAR

The holiday is always a three-day weekend for a reason.

Why Is Memorial Day Always on a Monday?

Discover the real reason why Memorial Day always happens on a Monday, plus how the holiday actually does differ from Veterans Day, and more.

The African American Civil War Memorial.

11 Lesser-Known War Memorials

These tributes to fallen soldiers may not be as instantly recognizable as the Vietnam Memorial and others, but their stories are no less fascinating—including one that doubles as a mausoleum right in Manhattan.

Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

14 of the Best Books on the Vietnam War

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

Parts of Harriet Tubman’s and Ben Ross‘s lives are shown in a new virtual museum.

New Virtual Museum Lets You Explore Harriet Tubman’s Teenage Home

Peer into Harriet Tubman‘s father’s home via the Maryland Department of Transportation‘s new virtual museum.

Civil War medical officers including Jonathan Letterman, a surgeon who pioneered the ambulance-to-ER transport of wounded patients during the Civil War.

5 Medical Innovations from the Civil War

Civil War surgeons learned fast. Here are a few of the MacGyver-like medical solutions that have had a lasting impact.

When Harriet Tubman Helped Lead a Civil War Raid That Freed 750 People

With the Combahee River Raid of 1863, Harriet Tubman earned her nickname "Moses" all over again—and became the first woman in U.S. history to lead a major military expedition.

A statue of Robert Smalls will soon be a part of the South Carolina Capitol grounds.

Robert Smalls, Civil War Hero Who Escaped Enslavement, Is Getting a Statue in South Carolina

The ship’s pilot helped his family reach freedom, then served in the Civil War and in the U.S. Congress. Robert Smalls’s statue will be the first to honor an individual Black citizen on South Carolina State House grounds.

Meet Opal Lee—the 97-Year-Old Activist Known as the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’

Is Juneteenth a federal holiday? Yes—and we have Opal Lee to thank for that.

In his House Divided speech, Lincoln feared the outcome of the Missouri Compromise would be civil war.

“A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”: Deciphering Lincoln’s Warning About Civil War

In his famous 1858 speech, Abraham Lincoln warned that only civil war would resolve the issue of slavery in the U.S. He wasn’t wrong.

In the winter of 1861, former president Franklin Pierce found himself accused of treason.

The Bizarre Story Behind How Franklin Pierce Was Accused of Treason

An anonymous letter supposedly from a member of a secret society claimed that Franklin Pierce was involved in treasonous activities against the American government—an accusation that infuriated the former president.

Missouri Lawmaker Aims to Bring Back Dueling

The history of political dueling in the U.S. doesn’t end with Hamilton and Burr.

Caricature by James Gillray of Perkins Tractors being administered to a patient.

8 of History’s Greatest Charlatans

One scam was convincing enough to fool George Washington.

12 Fascinating Facts About Juneteenth

Juneteenth has been celebrated since enslaved people in Texas were told about their freedom on June 19, 1865. Here's what you need to know about the holiday.

11 Facts About the Battle of Gettysburg

The three-day Civil War battle was a badly needed win for the North—but like all victories, it came with a price.

13 Surprising Facts About Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was a complicated man in one of the most complicated times in United States history.

8 Battles Fought After the War Ended

From Pontiac's Rebellion to the Battle for Castle Itter, here are eight of the most legendary clashes that were waged after the war was technically over.

Ida B. Wells Is Mattel’s Latest ‘Inspiring Women’ Barbie Doll

Who was Ida B. Wells? A journalist, suffragist, civil rights leader, and now the latest doll in Barbie’s ‘Inspiring Women’ series.

After taking down this Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, conservators found two hidden surprises.

Another Time Capsule Was Retrieved From Beneath Richmond's Recently Removed Robert E. Lee Statue

The time capsule dates back to 1887 and was thought to contain an image of Abraham Lincoln in his coffin. Conservators found something else instead.

Abraham Lincoln's hair was used to make the eagle's head in this one-of-a-kind sculpture.

This Priceless 'Hairy Eagle' Sculpture Is Made Out of Abraham Lincoln's Hair

At the height of the Civil War, a soldier advocacy group displayed a sculpture made from the presidential follicles of Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary to raise money for troops. Now it's a historical curio.

Robert E. Lee and company in the National Cathedral's stained-glass windows.

The National Cathedral Will Replace Its Confederate-Themed Stained-Glass Windows

Stained-glass windows depicting Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were removed in 2017. Now, Kerry James Marshall is working on their replacements.

A depiction of the office of the Freedmen's Bureau in Memphis, Tennessee.

Black Americans Can Now Trace Their Family Tree With the Help of Millions of Digitized Freedmen’s Bureau Records

The Freedmen’s Bureau Project records are now digitized and available on Ancestry.com, providing millions of African Americans free access to discover their roots.

The Underground Railroad by Charles T. Webber.

7 Facts About the Underground Railroad

During the 1800s, roughly 100,000 enslaved people sought freedom on the Underground Railroad, which stretched from the American South to Canada.

Why Are Lengthy Bureaucratic Processes Known As Red Tape?

Bureaucratic red tape is a tale as old as time. Or, to be a little more precise, roughly 400 years old.

Clara Barton photographed by Charles R. B. Claflin in 1865.

The Library of Congress Needs Your Help Transcribing Clara Barton's Diaries, Correspondences, and Other Rarely Seen Papers

Who was Clara Barton, really? Transcribing her personal documents can help shed light on a complex question.