Skip to main content

Wilmot Proviso

Author:
Video Rating:
TV-PG
Video Duration:
2:25

The election of Abraham Lincoln was a tipping point on the path to Civil War. In the wake of Southern secession, would the new president defend the U.S. forts in rebel territory?

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

RELATED CONTENT

General Sherman cuts the rail lines around Atlanta and captures the key Southern city, bolstering public opinion in the North as Lincoln prepares for re-election.

General Sherman Captures Atlanta

Original or facsimile? The original Gettysburg Address bears creases in it it from when Abraham Lincoln placed it in his pocket.

The Original Gettysburg Address

A closer look at why John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

Behind the Assassin

President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most moving and infamous speeches in U.S. History in this scene from "Bloodbath."

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Using a revolutionary new form of communication, President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which he believes will give the Union both a moral and strategic advantage, in this scene from "The March to War."

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

Union forces assault Fort McCallister, the key to Savannah and the final obstacle along General Sherman's march to the sea.

Sherman Closes in on Savannah