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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.

Civil War 150

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Interactives (3)

Videos (22)

  • Civil War Tech
    Civil War Tech

    Video Clip (2:17)

    The Civil War saw the rise of major technological advances in warfare.

    Video Clip (2:17)
  • 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)
  • Trench Warfare
    Trench Warfare

    Video Clip (1:14)

    Although best known for its role in the long slog of World War I, trench warfare actually got its start on the battlefields of the American Civil War. Find out how new weapons and technology played a part in both its development and destruction.

    Video Clip (1:14)
  • Confederate vs. Union Soldiers
    Confederate vs. Union Soldiers

    Video Clip (2:39)

    Find out what divided the men of the Civil War, and how in many ways they were more alike than different.

    Video Clip (2:39)
  • Civil War Biological Warfare
    Civil War Biological Warfare

    Video Clip (3:56)

    Confederate agents experiment with an early version of bio-warfare, attempting to spread yellow fever throughout Northern cities.

    Video Clip (3:56)
  • 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 Sketchbook
    Civil War Sketchbook

    Video Clip (2:35)

    Confederate topographical engineer Jedidiah Hotchkiss' sketchbook -- created with meticulous detail while on horseback -- helps Gen. Stonewall Jackson to master terrain during the Civil War.

    Video Clip (2:35)
  • 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)
  • Transcontinental Railroad
    Transcontinental Railroad

    Video Clip (3:27)

    Find out how the transcontinental railroad transformed America into one nation.

    Video Clip (3:27)
  • Civil War Counter-Terrorism
    Civil War Counter-Terrorism

    Video Clip (3:26)

    Federal Agent Felix Stidger infiltrated a Confederate terrorist organization called The Sons of Liberty and revealed terror plots against strategic Union targets.

    Video Clip (3:26)
  • Meaning of the Civil War
    Meaning of the Civil War

    Video Clip (1:13)

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

    Video Clip (1:13)
  • Tragedy on the Sultana
    Tragedy on the Sultana

    Video Clip (3:40)

    The passenger ship Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River killing over 1,800 civilians and solfiers returning from the battlefield after the Civil War. Though the war had officially ended, was this tragedy the work of Confederate agents?

    Video Clip (3:40)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • The evolution of Battlefield Guns
    The evolution of Battlefield Guns

    Video Clip (1:25)

    Over the course of several hundred years, guns have undergone changes that have made them more efficient and effective.

    Video Clip (1:25)
  • Civil War Photography
    Civil War Photography

    Video Clip (6:02)

    The Civil War was the first American war to be documented with photography, bringing gruesome battlefield images home to the public.

    Video Clip (6:02)
  • Civil War Weapons
    Civil War Weapons

    Video Clip (4:30)

    In the Civil War, the quality of guns and ammunition separated North and South. Which side had the superior weapons?

    Video Clip (4:30)
  • Civil War Troop Training
    Civil War Troop Training

    Video Clip (2:53)

    Civil War soldiers were sent off to battle after as little as three weeks of training.

    Video Clip (2:53)
  • Civil War Food Rations
    Civil War Food Rations

    Video Clip (1:57)

    With "sheet-iron crackers" and improvised coffee made from charred green peas, Civil War cuisine wasn't exactly five-star, but it was essential for the survival of troops on both sides.

    Video Clip (1:57)
  • Women of War
    Women of War

    Video Clip (1:38)

    Find out the surprising stories of the unexpected ways women have served their countries in times of war.

    Video Clip (1:38)

Photo Galleries (6)

  • 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: Mathew Brady
    Civil War: Mathew Brady

    18 Photos

    Photographer Mathew Brady and his associates would create more than 10,000 images of the American Civil War, bringing the harsh realities of war to the American public..

    (18 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)
  • Inventions: Inventors
    Inventions: Inventors

    8 Photos

    (8 Photos)
  • Inventions: Communication
    Inventions: Communication

    14 Photos

    (14 Photos)
  • Industrial Inventions
    Industrial Inventions

    12 Photos

    (12 Photos)

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The Civil War is often referred to as the first "modern" war. Many of the technologies devised during that period permanently changed the way wars were fought.

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