The American Civil War
The American Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865, was one of the true defining events in the nation's history. By the war's end, hundreds of thousands had been killed and wounded, slavery had been ended, and the very notion of the United States had been changed forever.
The New York City Draft Riots
The streets of New York erupted in shocking violence for several days in July 1863 in what became known as the New York City Draft Riots. The federal government instituting conscription for the army during the Civil War was the root cause, though other factors, such as racial and ethnic strife, certainly played a part. This gallery of images documents the horrors of the Draft Riots, in which buil…
The streets of New York erupted in shocking violence for several days in July 1863 in what became known as the New York City Draft Riots. The federal government instituting conscription for the army during the Civil War was the root cause, though other factors, such as racial and ethnic strife, certainly played a part. This gallery of images documents the horrors of the Draft Riots, in which buil…
The Irish Brigade
The Union Army's Irish Brigade fought in the Civil War battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. The brigade consisted of three New York regiment and a Massachusetts regiment, and it was led by an exiled Irish revolutionary, Thomas Francis Meagher.
The Union Army's Irish Brigade fought in the Civil War battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. The brigade consisted of three New York regiment and a Massachusetts regiment, and it was led by an exiled Irish revolutionary, Thomas Francis Meagher.
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg in mid-December 1862 was a major Confederate victory, but it wasn't so much a turning point in the Civil War as a gruesome confirmation that the war was going to be long and very costly.
As the second year of the war ended, widespread optimism that it could end early faded, and citizens on both sides steeled themselves for more bloodshed to come.
Civil War Photographs
The photographs of such giants as Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner are contained in the Library of Congress's collection of Civil War Photographs. Of particular interest are the photos Gardner took at Antietam in 1862, which, when displayed at Brady's Gallery in New York, caused a sensation.
The photographs of such giants as Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner are contained in the Library of Congress's collection of Civil War Photographs. Of particular interest are the photos Gardner took at Antietam in 1862, which, when displayed at Brady's Gallery in New York, caused a sensation.
Civil War Treasures from the New York Historical Society
The New York Historical Society boasts an enormous collection of photographs, posters and manuscripts from the Civil War. The U.S. Library of Congress showcases part of the collection at this fascinating site.
The New York Historical Society boasts an enormous collection of photographs, posters and manuscripts from the Civil War. The U.S. Library of Congress showcases part of the collection at this fascinating site.