After the election of President Lincoln in 1860, seven southern states seceded and Civil War broke out, followed by four years of bloody fighting and the loss of 617,000 American lives.

Finally, constitutionally and politically, Lincoln had to grapple with the evolving meaning of the Civil War. Initially, Lincoln espoused only the cause of Unionism. But as the war continued, he saw ...

although Lincoln did not live to see the ratification of the amendment in December 1865. Our collections provide many perspectives on the Civil War and give a fuller understanding of this epic event.