Events in 1865

January 1, 1865

White House Red Room Hauntings

The White House's Red Room has been the site of numerous paranormal encounters since 1865, with staff and visitors reporting mysterious reflections and shadowy figures in the room's ornate mirrors. The phenomena began during President Lincoln's administration and continues to intrigue visitors and staff to this day.

January 1, 1865

Second Industrial Revolution

The Second Industrial Revolution (1865-1900) transformed America into a global industrial powerhouse through groundbreaking innovations in electricity, steel production, and manufacturing methods, led by visionaries like Edison, Carnegie, and Rockefeller.

January 15, 1865

Capture of Fort Fisher

The Union forces captured Fort Fisher, known as the 'Gibraltar of the South', after a massive combined army-navy assault. This victory effectively cut off the Confederacy's last major supply route and hastened the end of the Civil War.

February 3, 1865

Hampton Roads Conference

A historic peace negotiation meeting during the American Civil War between President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate representatives aboard the River Queen steamboat in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Despite four hours of discussions, the conference failed to achieve peace.

March 3, 1865

Freedmen's Bureau Establishment

The Freedmen's Bureau was established as a groundbreaking federal agency on March 3, 1865, to support millions of formerly enslaved people in their transition to freedom. Under General Oliver O. Howard's leadership, it provided essential services including education, healthcare, and legal assistance.

April 3, 1865

Fall of Richmond

The capture of Richmond by Union forces on April 3, 1865, marked a decisive turning point in the American Civil War. Confederate forces evacuated the city, setting fire to military supplies which led to a devastating fire destroying much of the business district.

April 9, 1865

Lee's Surrender at Appomattox

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. The historic meeting took place at McLean House, where generous surrender terms were offered to Confederate forces.

April 9, 1865

End of the American Civil War

The American Civil War concluded through a series of surrenders, beginning with General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, and ending officially with President Johnson's proclamation on August 20, 1866.

April 9, 1865

Surrender at Appomattox

The historic surrender at Appomattox Court House marked the effective end of the American Civil War when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The meeting took place at the McLean House and established terms that would help reunite the divided nation.

April 9, 1865

Surrender at Appomattox

The historic surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House effectively ended the American Civil War in the eastern theater and symbolized the beginning of national reconciliation.

April 9, 1865

Battle of Appomattox Court House

The Battle of Appomattox Court House was the final major military engagement of the American Civil War, where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

April 9, 1865

Battle of Fort Blakely

The Battle of Fort Blakely was a decisive Civil War engagement in Alabama that ended in Union victory on April 9, 1865. Union forces of 45,000 troops, including eight regiments of United States Colored Troops, overwhelmed 3,700 Confederate defenders in just 25 minutes, securing control of Mobile Bay.

April 12, 1865

Surrender of Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama, the last major Confederate port city, surrendered to Union forces under Major General Edward Canby on April 12, 1865. This surrender came shortly after the fall of Fort Blakeley and effectively ended Confederate resistance in the Deep South.

April 14, 1865

Lincoln Assassination

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. The shooting occurred at 10:15 PM, and Lincoln died the following morning at 7:22 AM at the Petersen House.

April 14, 1865

Lincoln's Assassination

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. during a performance of 'Our American Cousin'. The assassination occurred just five days after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House.

April 14, 1865

Lincoln Assassination at Ford's Theatre

President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. This tragic event marked the first presidential assassination in American history and occurred just days after the Civil War's end.

April 14, 1865

Lincoln Assassination

President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. The assassination occurred just days after the Civil War's end, dramatically altering the course of American history.

April 15, 1865

Andrew Johnson's Presidential Oath

Following Abraham Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre, Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th President of the United States at the Kirkwood House in Washington, D.C., becoming the first Vice President to assume presidency due to assassination.

April 15, 1865

Andrew Johnson's Presidential Oath

Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th President of the United States on April 15, 1865, following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The ceremony took place at the Kirkwood House in Washington, D.C., with Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administering the oath of office.

April 17, 1865

Surrender of Columbus, Georgia

The surrender of Columbus, Georgia marked one of the final major battles of the American Civil War. As the 'Arsenal of the Confederacy,' its capture by Union forces under Major General James H. Wilson dealt a devastating blow to Confederate manufacturing capabilities and ended resistance east of the Mississippi River.

April 26, 1865

Johnston's Surrender at Bennett Place

Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union General William T. Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina, effectively ending Confederate resistance in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. This surrender of 89,270 soldiers marked the largest Confederate capitulation of the Civil War.

May 5, 1865

Final Confederate Cabinet Meeting

The last formal gathering of the Confederate government's executive leadership at the Burt-Stark Mansion in Abbeville, South Carolina, where they made the decisive choice to dissolve the Confederate central authority, effectively ending the American Civil War for the South.

May 10, 1865

Capture of Jefferson Davis

The dramatic capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis by Union forces near Irwinville, Georgia, effectively ending the Confederate resistance and marking a pivotal moment in the American Civil War.

May 26, 1865

Last Confederate Army Surrender

The Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi, commanded by General Edmund Kirby Smith, surrendered at Marshall, Texas, marking the final major Confederate force's capitulation in the American Civil War. This surrender came more than a month after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

June 23, 1865

Last Confederate General Surrenders

Stand Watie, a Cherokee leader and Confederate brigadier general, becomes the last Confederate general to surrender at Doaksville, Indian Territory. His surrender marks the final organized Confederate military resistance of the Civil War, occurring more than two months after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

July 5, 1865

US Secret Service Establishment

The United States Secret Service was founded as a specialized division of the Treasury Department to combat widespread counterfeiting that plagued the nation after the Civil War, with nearly one-third of all currency being counterfeit at the time.

November 6, 1865

CSS Shenandoah's Final Surrender

The CSS Shenandoah became the last Confederate unit to surrender when it lowered its flag in Liverpool, England, after conducting a remarkable 12-month global campaign that continued months after the Civil War's end.

November 6, 1865

Final Confederate Surrender

The CSS Shenandoah, the last Confederate military unit, surrendered to British authorities in Liverpool, England, marking the definitive end of the American Civil War, months after Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

November 11, 1865

First Woman Receives Medal of Honor

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker made history as the first and only woman to receive the Medal of Honor for her extraordinary service as a civilian surgeon during the Civil War. Her medal was presented on November 11, 1865, at the War Department in Washington, D.C.

December 6, 1865

Thirteenth Amendment Ratification

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was officially ratified, marking the formal abolition of slavery throughout the United States. This historic amendment passed after intense political negotiations and required approval from three-fourths of the states.

December 6, 1865

13th Amendment Ratification

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865, marking the formal abolition of slavery throughout the United States. This historic legislation, championed by President Abraham Lincoln, required intense political maneuvering and transformed the nation's social and legal landscape forever.

December 6, 1865

13th Amendment Ratification

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, marking the formal abolition of slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States. Georgia became the 27th state to approve the amendment, reaching the required three-fourths majority for constitutional ratification.

December 24, 1865

Foundation of the Ku Klux Klan

The original Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee, by six Confederate veterans. Initially established as a social club, it rapidly transformed into a violent white supremacist organization that terrorized African Americans during the Reconstruction era.