American civil war

With the Declaration of Independence in 1776, 13 former British colonies became the United States of America, but by the 1830s it was clear the new nation was divided. Explore articles on the causes, events and legacy of the American Civil War (1861–65) – from how the issue of slavery created discord between north and south, to key moments such as the battle of Gettysburg.

Florence Pugh and Christopher Abbott in period clothing walk past a horse-drawn cart outdoors. She wears a blue plaid fitted suit with a rolled hat and holds a handbag, while he walks alongside carrying a carpet bag.

General History

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A small group of people in historical-style clothing gather outdoors around a campfire. One person plays a violin while others clap, dance, or sit watching. A simple canvas tent stands behind them in a grassy, wooded setting.

Victorian

Go west! Is Little House on the Prairie a true story? Here’s the real history behind the frontier drama reboot

A dramatic historical painting shows a wounded officer in a pale uniform being held upright by several soldiers in red and green coats. The officer looks gravely injured as the men around him support his weight and lean in with concern. Smoke and dark clouds fill the background, suggesting an active battle. A fallen soldier lies near a cannon in the foreground, and snow covers the ground, adding to the bleak, chaotic atmosphere.

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The Founding Fathers wanted to acquire Canada for the United States. But they made one huge mistake. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A historical painting shows a crowded assembly room where men in 18th‑century clothing gather around a long green‑covered table. At the centre, one man stands with an arm raised and his other hand on his chest, appearing to deliver a forceful speech. The men around him react with raised hands, leaning forward or turning toward him, creating a sense of lively debate. Papers and books lie on the table, and the room feels formal and energetic, capturing a moment of political decision‑making.

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George III vs America: was the British king to blame for the loss of the 13 colonies?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Black‑and‑white portrait of Frederick Douglass, an older Black man with grey hair and a full beard, wearing formal 19th‑century clothing and looking slightly to the side against a plain backdrop.

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Frederick Douglass changed America forever. Here's how. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collage-style image shows King Charles III and Donald Trump in formal evening dress on the left, set against a blended backdrop of the US and UK flags and a 19th-century painting. To the right, Queen Elizabeth II, wearing a tiara and turquoise gown, raises a glass in a toast with President Gerald Ford, while smaller historical figures appear in the background.

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Pageantry and politics: a history of British royal visits to the US. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A tailor in a black vest and white shirt holds two large horns as he attaches them to a Viking’s helmet. The Viking wears a grey helmet, blue tunic, feathered cloak, and has a long orange beard, all set against a bright green background

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What are history's biggest misconceptions? 9 experts reveal what we get wrong about the past. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A split image shows a vintage portrait of a 19th-century woman wearing a floral headpiece on the left and a modern actress in period costume portraying her on stage on the right

Victorian

Oh, Mary! makes a monster of Mary Todd Lincoln – but has history been too harsh?

A historical reenactor, dressed as a member of the United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War, takes a selfie with a phone. He is standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC; a Stars and Stripes flag is to his right.

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What is Juneteenth, and why is it celebrated? A historian explains the significance of the holiday today. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Who was the greatest President of the United States in history?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody standing in front of his saddle, holding a rifle behind his back.

Victorian

13 famous cowboys and gunslingers from the history of the American Wild West

Abraham Lincoln

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How Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election victory set America on the path to Civil War. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Workers working on ruins after the US civil war, circa

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Q&AWhat was a scalawag?

Portrait of Mary Surratt

Victorian

The real history of Mary Surratt's controversial role in the Lincoln conspiracy

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Black History MonthThe slave who stole a ship and sailed to freedom. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Gone with the Wind: how a 1936 novel explains modern America. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration showing the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act,  passed by Congress in 1850. The law aimed to make it easier for slaveholders to reclaim runaway ‘property’ in the free states, and contributed to rising political tension. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)

Victorian

The story of the American Civil War32 key moments in the landmark conflict

Historian Joyce Lee Malcolm

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Joyce Lee Malcolm on gun ownership in America“Why is the right to be armed such an emotional one for Americans? No police force can protect everyone, or even any one, all of the time”. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A group of formerly enslaved African-Americans around the time of the US Civil War

Victorian

Why we should remember…The Amnesty Act of 1872

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How Shakespeare inspired terrorists. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Shakespeare's house in Stratford-Upon-Avon

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Q&AWhy was Stratford-upon-Avon a hotbed of Confederate activity?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Period

Q&AWhat are the origins of the word ‘shoddy’?

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The American Civil War: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Violence erupted in New Orleans, and white southerners killed and injured more than 100 freed slaves during a riot against reconstruction plans. (Image by Alamy)

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Rebuilding America after the Civil War: what was the Reconstruction era and why did it fail?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Slaves of Confederate Brigadier-General Thomas F Drayton at his cotton plantation in South Carolina during the American Civil War

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Why is America haunted by its past?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

American actresses Frances Dee, Jean Parker, Katharine Hepburn, and Joan Bennett playing the March girls in George Cukor's film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women', 1933. (Photo by RKO Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images)

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“Fresh and full of soul”: the history of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Victorian

A battle of wills: why the South lost the American Civil War

President Abraham Lincoln visiting soldiers encamped at the Civil War battlefield of Antietam in Maryland, 1 October 1862. (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

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The American Civil War: 7 facts and fictions. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The bronze statue in Washington DC celebrating Abraham Lincoln's emancipation of slaves shows the 16th president standing over a shackled African American. Lincoln is "one of the towering figures in the story that Americans tell about themselves," writes Lucy Worsley. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Victorian

Lincoln and slavery: "If I could save the union without freeing any slave, I would"

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln

General Modern

Lincoln's funniest jokes

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