Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
George G. Meade, commanding the Federal Army of the Potomac, is summoned to Washington to testify before Congress. He directly addresses allegations that he had planned to retreat at the Battle of Gettysburg and tries to address personal attacks on his leadership.
The Republican Party splits into factions as the presidential election approaches. Conservatives support Abraham Lincoln for a second term, while radicals look to replace Lincoln with Salmon P. Chase. This division makes headlines throughout the North.
President Abraham Lincoln learns that a pamphlet is being circulated urging Republicans to drop their support for him in the upcoming presidential election in favor of a candidate who will pursue a much harsher war policy against the Confederacy.
The Lincoln administration tries to address the troubling divisions in Missouri with a reorganization designed to help both militarily and politically.
Nathaniel P. Banks begins the process of reconstructing Louisiana under President Abraham Lincoln’s “Ten Percent Plan” by calling on delegates to form a convention to rewrite the state constitution.
President Abraham Lincoln outlines a plan to bring the Confederate states back into the Union. This is part of his effort to exacerbate political dissension in the Confederacy while uniting the factions within his own Republican Party.