Changes

== Surrender ==

== Surrender ==

By fall 1864 the South was running out of resources and spirit.  "Southern Disunion" began to occur in September 1864, as characterized by a high desertion rate, riots, food shortages, and even South Carolina ignoring Acts of the Confederation.  Fearful of a slave rebellion, the Confederation delayed in arming the slaves.

By fall 1864 the South was running out of resources and spirit.  "Southern Disunion" began to occur in September 1864, as characterized by a high desertion rate, riots, food shortages, and even South Carolina ignoring Acts of its own Confederacy.  Fearful of a slave rebellion, the Confederation delayed in arming the slaves.

Congress was preparing for the Union victory.  It passed the Freedmen's Bureau in March 1865, which established a government agency to help emancipated blacks get food and medical supplies, and to find jobs.<ref>http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fbact.htm</ref>

Congress was preparing for the Union victory.  It passed the Freedmen's Bureau in March 1865, which established a government agency to help emancipated blacks get food and medical supplies, and to find jobs.<ref>http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fbact.htm</ref>

Under General Ulysses S. Grant the Union army was racking up big wins against the Confederate army in Virginia in early 1865.  A Union victory was becoming inevitable.  To avoid further loss of life, General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th.  The terms of surrender were generous to the South:  southern officers were allowed to keep their arms, and soldiers were allowed to keep their horses.  Some observers complained that it looked more like Grant was surrendering to Lee rather than Lee surrendering to Grant.  Truth be told, Grant did have enormous respect for Lee, as most soldiers on both sides did.

Under General Ulysses S. Grant the Union army was racking up big wins against the Confederate army in Virginia in early 1865.  A Union victory was becoming inevitable.  To avoid further loss of life, General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th.  The terms of surrender were generous to the South:  southern officers were allowed to keep their arms, and soldiers were allowed to keep their horses.  Some observers complained that it looked more like Grant was surrendering to Lee rather than Lee surrendering to Grant.  Truth be told, Grant did have enormous respect for Lee, as most soldiers on both sides did.

Five days later, on Good Friday, April 14th, Lincoln was attending a theatrical performance (that's an odd way to spend Good Friday, one might observe) and Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, who was himself an actor sympathetic to the South.  Some suggest that Lincoln accepted this ending to his life.  Booth's crime was part of a conspiracy to assassinate the top persons in government, including Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.  General Ulysses S. Grant was to be with Lincoln at the theater but canceled his attendance.  Of all the targets of the conspiracy, only Lincoln died.<ref>http://americanhistory.about.com/od/lincolnsdeath/a/lincolnsdeath.htm</ref>  The conspirators were quickly caught and either killed in the chase (Booth) or tried and hung.  The expression "your name is mud" comes from the conviction and imprisonment of Dr. Samuel Mudd for treating Booth's broken leg after Booth's crime.  Dr. Mudd was later pardoned by President Andrew Johnson, who became president upon Lincoln's death.

Five days later, on Good Friday, April 14th, Lincoln was attending a theatrical performance (that's an odd way to spend Good Friday, one might observe), and Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, who was himself an actor sympathetic to the South.  Some suggest that Lincoln accepted this ending to his life.  Booth's crime was part of a conspiracy to assassinate the top persons in government, including Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward.  General Ulysses S. Grant was to be with Lincoln at the theater but canceled his attendance.  Of all the targets of the conspiracy, only Lincoln died.<ref>http://americanhistory.about.com/od/lincolnsdeath/a/lincolnsdeath.htm</ref>  The conspirators were quickly caught and either killed in the chase (Booth) or tried and hung.  The expression "your name is mud" comes from the conviction and imprisonment of Dr. Samuel Mudd for treating Booth's broken leg after Booth's crime.  Dr. Mudd was later pardoned by President Andrew Johnson, who became president upon Lincoln's death.

Lincoln remains a controversial historical figure to this day.  His original goals were not moral, and he admitted that he was not trying to abolish slavery.  He was trying to save the Union.  He even agreed to try to preserve slavery as a way of saving the Union.  A cynic might point to Lincoln's career as a railroad lawyer as the prime motivation for his obsession with unity.  The business of a railroad depends heavily on a mindset of national unity; if a country were to break up, then the railroad might not work nearly as well with different sections refusing to cooperate with each other.  Today Lincoln is idolized in the North, but is still disliked by many in the South.

Lincoln remains a controversial historical figure to this day.  His original goals were not moral, and he admitted that he was not trying to abolish slavery.  He was trying to save the Union.  He even agreed to try to preserve slavery as a way of saving the Union.  A cynic might point to Lincoln's career as a railroad lawyer as the prime motivation for his obsession with unity.  The profitability of a railroad depends heavily on national unity; if a country were to break up, then the railroad might not work nearly as well with different sections refusing to cooperate with each other.  Today Lincoln is idolized in the North, but is still disliked by many in the South.

== President Andrew Johnson ==

== President Andrew Johnson ==