Lincoln’s letter to Alexander H. Stephens states his desire to prevent slavery’s spread and not threaten it where it already existed. This speaks to the centrality of slavery as a cause of the Civil War.
This is a political cartoon satirizing the secession of South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana in an attempt to show the disunity of the new Confederacy.
This advertisement, published in the Southwestern Christian Advocate in 1883, was included in the "Lost Friends" section of the newspaper. Advertisements like this were published after emancipation by African Americans seeking their relatives. Families of enslaved people were often separated during enslavement. Here, Fanny Ward seeks information about her family, which was separated during slavery.
This advertisement, published in the Southwestern Christian Advocate in 1883, was included in the "Lost Friends" section of the newspaper. Advertisements like this were published after emancipation by African Americans seeking their relatives. Families of enslaved people were often separated during enslavement. Here, S. L. Jones searches for his or her relatives.
This brief newspaper article represents the commonplace practice of selling land, animals and goods while including enslaved people in the same listing in the United States before emancipation. Serving as primary source evidence of a pending sale, the article simplifies the transactions as purely economic.
This performance of Swing Low Sweet Chariot is part of Nashville Public Television (NPT) and the Renaissance Center's presentation "Tennessee Civil War 150" a series of documentaries delving into life in Tennessee during the Civil War.