Hampton Roads Conference

On February 2, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward met with three Confederate officials, including Vice President Alexander H. Stephens, to discuss the possibility of negotiating an end to the American Civil War, which had begun almost four years earlier in April 1861. The Hampton Roads Conference was a failure, as Confederate officials were not authorized to accept any settlement other than Southern independence, which Lincoln refused to consider. The war continued for another two months.

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Did You Know?

The Hampton Roads Conference lasted only four hours.

Hampton Roads Conference(Feb. 3, 1865), informal, unsuccessful peace talks at Hampton Roads, Va., U.S., between the Union and the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War. At the urging of his wartime adviser, Francis P. Blair, Sr., Pres. Abraham Lincoln had agreed for the first time since the start of the war to meet with representatives of the South. The President and Secretary of State William H. Seward met on the boat “River Queen” with three spokesmen for the Confederacy, Vice Pres. Alexander H. Stephens, Sen. R.M.T. Hunter of Virginia, and Assistant Secretary of War J.A. Campbell. Lincoln offered a peace settlement that called for a reunion of the nation, emancipation of the slaves, and disbanding of Confederate troops. Since the Southern representatives were authorized to accept independence only, no settlement was possible.

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Classroom Study Guides

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