Lincoln Takes the Oath on the Edge of Civil War
On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th president at the unfinished U.S. Capitol, pleading for the Union weeks before the Civil War began.
Tales from the year 1861
The Battle That Ended America's Dream of a Short War
On July 21, 1861, hundreds of civilians came out to watch the Civil War's first major battle near Manassas, Virginia — and ended up fleeing for their lives as the Union army broke.