Point Lookout, Maryland, 1864-1865 John Jacob Omenhausser was a Confederate soldier who was imprisoned towards the end of the American Civil War, from June 1864 to June 1865, at Point Lookout, Maryland. During his stay there, he...

Read the last orders of Robert E. Lee to the Confederate troops, relating the surrender of the South and thanking them for their service.

The document outlining the terms of surrender, agreed upon by Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, which ended the Civil War in 1865. Interactive image accompanied by background information and transcript.

Read the text of the 13th Amendment, adopted in January, 1865, even before the end of the Civil War, which ended slavery in the United States. Click on the image to see a larger picture of the document itself.

Letters and narratives of slaves freed at the end of the Civil War. An interesting look at the confusion and eagerness which confronted these newly freed Americans.

Online exhibit of primary source documents related to the 13th Amendment after the Civil War and the end to slavery.

Image of handwritten copy of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, accompanied by an explanation of the speech's purpose, impact, and role in American history.

This article describes the events leading up to the surrender of the South and the surrender itself. Includes communication between Grant and Lee leading to their meeting at Appomattox.

A copy and transcription of the 13th Amendment which ended slavery. The sidebar gives a brief overview of emancipation and what led to this amendment.

This resource, a speech by Woodrow Wilson to Congress on April 8, 1913, gives a great review of how the United States transformed from from a rural country to an urban one. It includes a review of industrialization, new inventions,...

Eighteen primary sources-historical documents, literary texts, and visual images-that explore the industrial, racial, and technological progress of the late-nineteenth century.

Classroom ready resource includes primary resource document of the Emancipation Proclamation, background information and questions for discussion.