ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY
April 11, 1865
President Abraham Lincoln Gives His Last Public Address
On this day in 1865, Abraham Lincoln stood in the window of the White House above the main entrance and gave
what would be his last public address. In his address, he struck an up-beat and surprisingly conciliatory tone
towards the South. Although the Civil War was not officially over, earlier that month, Union troops had captured
Richmond, the Capital of the Confederacy and just days before, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered
his army to Union forces. It was becoming clear that the war was coming to and end and that the question of the day
wasn't IF the southern states would re-join the Union but rather HOW. Sadly, Lincoln would not live to see it
happen. Two days later, while watching a play at Ford's Theatre, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln by shooting
him in the head at close range. The job of reuniting the union would fall to his successor, Andrew Johnson.
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