From the final bloody battles of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the role of freed slaves and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Americans faced a remarkable range of critical issues in 1865. In this illumi­nating collection, prominent historians of nineteenth-century America offer insightful overviews of the individuals, events, and issues that together made 1865 one of the most momentous years in American history.

Following an intro­duction by renowned Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer, nine new essays explore the end of the Civil War, Lincoln’s death, and the start of the tentative peace. Topics include the sending of the Thir­teenth Amendment to the states for ratification, General Ulysses S. Grant’s crucial last thrusts against Robert E. Lee and Lincoln’s management of the over­all war effort, Lincoln’s meeting with Confederate emissaries who sought to reverse the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln’s second inaugural address, and Lincoln’s dramatic April 4 walk through Richmond.

Turning to Lincoln’s assassination, essays examine Booth’s organizational efforts leading up to the events of that fateful day and the trial of the assas­sination conspirators. Other chapters cover the African American experience in the final year of the war and the use of the visual arts to preserve the life and legacy of the martyred president. With appendixes that include a close look at Lincoln’s activities and writings from January 1 through April 14 and other pertinent materials, this thoughtful col­lection provides an engaging evaluation of one of the most pivotal years in the evolution of America.