Special Features
- General Article: The Battle of Fredericksburg
- Primary Resources: Women Writers and Literary Activism
- Photo Gallery: African American Soldiers
- Photo Gallery: Political Cartoons of the 1860s
- General Article: Newspaper Opinions
- Timeline: Political Party Timeline: 1836-1864
Elected President only to see the nation fracture in two, Lincoln led a confused and frightened people through the most terrible war in their history. At the same time, his own household mirrored the fissures that split the nation: the great emancipator was married to the daughter of a slave owner from Kentucky. Mary Todd Lincoln was an aristocratic southerner who met Lincoln when he was still a backwoods politician lacking in experience and sophistication. Although she remained fiercely loyal to her husband and the Union cause, two of her brothers fought for the South. Their marriage was long and turbulent, and knew many trials, including the loss of two children. Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided weaves together the lives of the two Lincolns, drawing us into their long-vanished world.
My American Experience
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Of America's first 25 presidents, who is your favorite? From George Washington to William McKinley, which of the new country's leaders most helped shape America in its first century of existence?
Series Blog
Abraham ... Who?
On June 14, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released a study that claimed only 9% of fourth graders were able to both identify Abraham Lincoln and give two reasons why he was significant to American history.
The results of the study have prompted a barrage of criticism for the American educational system, yet many are quick to point out that, historically speaking, history has always been students’ worst subject. NPR’s All Things Considered ran a story on June 19 that pointed out that on a similar test in 1943, only 22% of students could answer the same question about Lincoln. NPR said that students “face rote textbooks and a system dominated by multiple-choice testing that encourages ‘teaching to the test’ instead of deeper, contextual learning.”
Ansel Adams
The life of the legendary photographer, known best for his black and white images of the wilderness of the American West.
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Dolley Madison
America's first First Lady defined the role of the President's wife and in the process changed the face of the American presidency.
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Fidel Castro
Cuba's Communist leader defied the odds, surviving his Soviet benefactors, the wrath of U.S. presidents, two diplomatic crises and assassination attempts.
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Duke Ellington - Reminiscing in Tempo
The African American jazz composer and bandleader performed regularly at Harlem's Cotton Club, leaving a legacy in music.
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George Washington - The Man Who Wouldn't Be King
Before he became the first U.S. president, service to the colonies would profoundly change George Washington.
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The Boy in the Bubble
The unusual life of David Vetter, who lived permanently inside a germ-free environment due to severe combined immunodeficiency.
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Secrets of a Master Builder
Engineer James Eads tamed the mighty Mississippi, turning New Orleans into the second largest port in the nation.
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Insanity on Trial
The trial of Charles Julius Guiteau, who assassinated President James A. Garfield, turned into a public battle over the meaning of insanity.
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