April 9, 1865: The Surrender At Appomattox

On April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, marking a critical moment in American history and effectively ending the Civil War. Lee’s decision to surrender came after several military setbacks…

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April 7, 1862: The Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, sometimes called the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, took place on April 6–7, 1862, near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. The battle marked a turning point in the war, demonstrating the ferocity and scale of the conflict while foreshadowing the immense casualties that…

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December 20: 1860: The Union Is Shattered

On December 20, 1860, a secession convention in South Carolina voted unanimously to secede from the Union. Fearing that Republican Abraham Lincoln’s administration would appoint antislavery officials who would undermine slavery, slaveholders chose to abandon the Constitution and form their own nation. To justify…

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