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The Civil War 150 is an immersive online experience, featuring infographics, historian picks and topical information, that highlights the 150 people, places, events and technology that defined America's greatest conflict. The interactive commemorates the Civil War's 150th Anniversary, and utilizes six thematic infographics to create an even more engaging "who knew?" experience:
Five Deadliest Battles – Nearly a quarter of a million men were killed or wounded during the five bloodiest clashes of the Civil War. Find out what happened at Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania Court House and the Wilderness.
Who They Were – Some wore blue and some wore gray, but the 3 million soldiers who fought in the Civil War had more in common than you might expect.
West Point Warriors – Almost 900 West Point alums served in the Civil War—in fact, they faced off against each other in 55 of the war's 60 major battles.
Paying for the War – Costing $146 billion in today's money, the Civil War saw rampant inflation—9000% in the South by the end of the war—and the first U.S. income tax.
Weapons of War – The Napoleon field gun, the minie ball, the Spencer repeating rifle, the telegraph and the railroad all helped to turn the tide of battle and changed the face of warfare forever.
How They Died – One in four soldiers—620,000 people—died as a result of the Civil War. That's 2 percent of the population—6.14 million people in today's terms.

Interactives (2)

Videos (27)

  • Lincoln's Most Pivotal Speech
    Lincoln's Most Pivotal Speech

    Video Clip (3:02)

    Which of President Lincoln's many eloquent speeches was the most important?

    Video Clip (3:02)
  • Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln

    Video Clip (3:48)

    Today he is known as one of the greatest American presidents, but at the time of his election no one would have predicted Lincoln's success.

    Video Clip (3:48)
  • What was in Lincoln's Pockets?
    What was in Lincoln's Pockets?

    Video Clip (2:16)

    Ordinary items such as spectacles, a handkerchief and confederate cash were discovered inside the pockets of President Abraham Lincoln the night he was assassinated.

    Video Clip (2:16)
  • America and the Civil War
    America and the Civil War

    Video Clip (4:04)

    Discover how the bloodiest war in American history transformed the face of the nation.

    Video Clip (4:04)
  • Civil War in One Word
    Civil War in One Word

    Video Clip (1:13)

    If you had just one word to describe the Civil War, what would it be?

    Video Clip (1:13)
  • Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural
    Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural

    Video Clip (2:11)

    Lincoln's second inaugural address somberly intoned the sacrifices made to end slavery and preserve the Union while calling for mutual forgiveness between North and South as the work of rebuilding began.

    Video Clip (2:11)
  • Deconstructing History: White House
    Deconstructing History: White House

    Video Clip (1:35)

    It may not have been home to the president until 1800 or even called the White House until 1901, but it remains a symbol of freedom and democracy throughout the world.

    Video Clip (1:35)
  • Legacy of the Civil War
    Legacy of the Civil War

    Video Clip (1:22)

    One hundred and fifty years after it began, the Civil War is still an important component of our national character.

    Video Clip (1:22)
  • Civil War's Greatest Myth
    Civil War's Greatest Myth

    Video Clip (2:41)

    What you think you know about the Civil War may not be the whole truth.

    Video Clip (2:41)
  • Lincoln's War Machine
    Lincoln's War Machine

    Video Clip (3:01)

    Twenty-four thousand miles of railroad replenishes troops and supplies for the North and delivers disaster to the South.

    Video Clip (3:01)
  • Civil War Turning Point
    Civil War Turning Point

    Video Clip (3:08)

    Find out what event turned the tide of the Civil War.

    Video Clip (3:08)
  • Grant or Lee?
    Grant or Lee?

    Video Clip (2:19)

    Which of the admired Civil War generals would you want to lead your country?

    Video Clip (2:19)
  • The Failure of Reconstruction
    The Failure of Reconstruction

    Video Clip (2:35)

    Reconstruction turns the south into a different type of battleground. Constitutional amendments grant freedom and suffrage to African-Americans but equality remains elusive.

    Video Clip (2:35)
  • The Emancipation Proclamation
    The Emancipation Proclamation

    Video Clip (2:14)

    Issued after the Union victory at Antietam, the Emancipation Proclamation had both moral and strategic implications for the ongoing Civil War.

    Video Clip (2:14)
  • The Original Gettysburg Address
    The Original Gettysburg Address

    Video Clip (2:58)

    Original or facsimile? The original Gettysburg Address bears creases in it it from when Abraham Lincoln placed it in his pocket.

    Video Clip (2:58)
  • The Gettysburg Address
    The Gettysburg Address

    Video Clip (1:36)

    Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is regarded as one of the most powerful and poignant speeches in American history.

    Video Clip (1:36)
  • Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation
    Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation

    Video Clip (2:31)

    The Emancipation Proclamation refocuses the purpose of the Civil War to address the issue of slavery.

    Video Clip (2:31)
  • The Lincoln Legacy
    The Lincoln Legacy

    Video Clip (3:49)

    President Abraham Lincoln presents his vision for America during his Second Inaugural Address, but his life is cut short by an assassin before he can bring it to fruition.

    Video Clip (3:49)
  • Lincoln: An American Icon
    Lincoln: An American Icon

    Video Clip (1:23)

    How did the Civil War transform Lincoln's political philosophy and make his presidency one of the most iconic in history?

    Video Clip (1:23)
  • The Assassination of Lincoln
    The Assassination of Lincoln

    Video Clip (2:06)

    John Wilkes Booth had unobstructed access to President Lincoln on the night of his assassination at Ford's Theater.

    Video Clip (2:06)
  • The Aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination
    The Aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination

    Video Clip (2:02)

    A stunned nation launches a massive manhunt for President Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth.

    Video Clip (2:02)
  • Ask Steve: Southern Strategy
    Ask Steve: Southern Strategy

    Video Clip (1:23)

    In this video clip from Ask Steve, the Southern Strategy is explained. It was the republican party's successful plan of getting the white southern population to shift their views from democratic to republican.

    Video Clip (1:23)
  • The Gettysburg Address: A New Declaration of Independence
    The Gettysburg Address: A New Declaration of Independence

    Video Clip (1:45)

    After the carnage at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln reaffirms his commitment to achieving freedom for all.

    Video Clip (1:45)
  • The Press Plane
    The Press Plane

    Video Clip (0:52)

    Pat Buchanan, speech writer during Richard Nixon's 1968 campaign, tells the story of one of Nixons early executive decisions.

    Video Clip (0:52)
  • The Great Communicator
    The Great Communicator

    Video Clip (4:18)

    Ronald Reagan galvanized the American public through his famous speeches that helped redefine American politics in the 1980s.

    Video Clip (4:18)
  • Nixon's Lincoln Day Dinner
    Nixon's Lincoln Day Dinner

    Video Clip (1:11)

    Pat Buchanan, aide to former president Richard Nixon during the 1968 campaign, tells the story of Nixons unique campaigning techniques.

    Video Clip (1:11)
  • Eisenhower Defeats Stevenson
    Eisenhower Defeats Stevenson

    Video Clip (1:51)

    Eisenhower defeats Adlai Stevenson to become the 33rd President.

    Video Clip (1:51)

Photo Galleries (4)

  • Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln

    19 Photos

    See pictures from the life and presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

    (19 Photos)
  • Faces of the Civil War
    Faces of the Civil War

    28 Photos

    The Library of Congress recently acquired a rare collection of nearly 700 Civil War-era ambrotype and tintype photographs, donated by the Liljenquist family.

    (28 Photos)
  • Civil War: Union Military Leaders
    Civil War: Union Military Leaders

    13 Photos

    View images of Union leaders from the Civil War, like Abraham Linoln and Ulysses S. Grant, and learn more about the roles they played in this bloody engagment.

    (13 Photos)
  • Civil War: Artifacts
    Civil War: Artifacts

    9 Photos

    Explore Civil War artifacts, from medical kits and personal hygiene items, to carbines and currency.

    (9 Photos)

Speeches & Audio (10)

  • Nixon Reelected to Presidency
    Nixon Reelected to Presidency

    Audio Clip (1:03)

    On November 7, 1972, incumbent President Richard Nixon won a second term in a landslide victory over Democrat George McGovern. In a brief statement from the Oval Office, President Nixon promises to bring "peace with honor" in Vietnam and to usher in a "new era of peace" with the Soviet Union.

    Audio Clip (1:03)
  • Colin Powell Declines Presidential Bid
    Colin Powell Declines Presidential Bid

    Audio Clip (2:26)

    On November 8, 1995, Colin Powell put an end to speculation when he announced that he would not run for president in the next election.

    Audio Clip (2:26)
  • Nixon's Second Inaugural Address
    Nixon's Second Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:42)

    After a landslide reelection victory, incumbent President Richard Nixon stresses America's role in the pursuit of world peace during his second inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1973.

    Audio Clip (1:42)
  • Nixon’s First Inaugural Address
    Nixon’s First Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:13)

    After losing his first presidential bid to John F. Kennedy in 1960, former Vice President Richard Nixon brought the Republican Party back into power with a win in the 1968 presidential election. On January 20, 1969, he takes the oath of office and promises to heal a divided nation.

    Audio Clip (1:13)
  • Reagan Accepts Presidential Nomination
    Reagan Accepts Presidential Nomination

    Audio Clip (1:33)

    After unsuccessfully seeking the presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, Ronald Reagan was nominated at the Republican National Convention on September 7, 1980. In his acceptance speech, the former California governor tells American taxpayers that they do not exist to fund the federal government.

    Audio Clip (1:33)
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Accepts Fourth Term Nomination
    Franklin D. Roosevelt Accepts Fourth Term Nomination

    Audio Clip (2:08)

    Broadcast from a Pacific coast naval base to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on July 20, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt accepts his party’s nomination for an unprecedented fourth presidential bid and speaks about postwar preparations now that victory is close at hand.

    Audio Clip (2:08)
  • Reagan’s 1984 Presidential Nomination
    Reagan’s 1984 Presidential Nomination

    Audio Clip (0:57)

    On August 23, 1984, President Ronald Reagan accepts his party's nomination for a second term. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, President Reagan promises a "springtime of hope" for America.

    Audio Clip (0:57)
  • Eisenhower's Inaugural Address
    Eisenhower's Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (5:51)

    When Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the 34th president of the United States on January 20, 1953, his inaugural address lays out a nine-point plan for achieving world peace.

    Audio Clip (5:51)
  • John McCain Accepts Presidential Nomination
    John McCain Accepts Presidential Nomination

    Audio Clip (3:51)

    On September 4, 2008, at the Republican National Convention, Sen. John McCain accepts his party's nomination for presidential candidate. In his speech he promises to change Washington and says he has just the right running mate to shake things up.

    Audio Clip (3:51)
  • Reagan’s First Inaugural Address
    Reagan’s First Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:29)

    With the country discouraged by high inflation, unemployment, gas shortages and the Iran hostage crisis, former California governor Ronald Reagan easily defeated incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1981, President Reagan promises to limit the reach of the federal government.

    Audio Clip (1:29)
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Read More about 1864 Election

The 1864 election, held during the Civil War, pitted President Abraham Lincoln against Democrat George B. McClellan.

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