More of the Story

Right now, we are working on probate documents from the 1860's of every day Americans who were going about their mostly quiet life.  Some of them would leave nothing behind but their hopefully good name while others were able to leave various sums of money that probably meant a great deal to the recipients. I began to think about what was happening in the United States during that decade.  Hooray for the Google search program!  The following events occurred from 1860 to 1869.

• 1860--Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States in November.
• 1860--In December South Carolina announces it will secede from the United States and other southern states will follow.
• 1861--Fort Sumter is attacked in April by Confederate soldiers.
• 1862--Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden, dies in May.
• 1863--In January President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation 
• 1863--The three-day battle at Gettysburg is fought.
• 1863--President Lincoln issues a proclamation declaring a Day of Thanksgiving to be held each year on the last Thursday in November.
• 1865--In May Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated to a second term as President of the United States.
• 1865--President Lincoln is shot in April at the Ford Theater.  He dies the next day.
• 1868--May 30 Decoration Day is observed in the United States.  Soldiers graves were decorated with flowers.  We now call it Memorial Day.
• 1869--Ulysses S. Grant is inaugurated as President of the United States of America.