Antebellum America, Civil War and Reconstruction

Though the Civil War began in 1861, its roots go back decades, and its effects continue to be seen today.

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Sail, steam, cotton, and oil — the engines of the American economy.

How women contributed to the repairing a country that had been torn apart.

Before TV and Twitter, politicians talked to voters face-to-face.

The makers of this ostentatious ceramic jug used images from popular satire to poke fun at the Civil War politics.

The creation of a beloved landmark destroyed a thriving community of African Americans and Irish immigrants.

Tanner studied in Philadelphia and Paris, and his style combined elements of American Realism and the Old Masters.

Though at first glance this nude seems plucked from classical antiquity, it actually alludes to modern politics.

Unlike the other monuments on the Mall, this monument tells us virtually nothing about the man it commemorates.

Johnson paints a courageous African-American family fleeing slavery.

This remarkable work honors those who fought for their own freedom, but acknowledges that the struggle goes on.

Painted for a divided US, people from North and South could identify with this image—others remain marginalized.

Shrady’s sneaky self-portrait within this sculpture took on tragic connotations after the monument claimed his life.

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