1865 in the United States

1865 in the United States
Charles O. Paullin · Public domain · source
Year	1865
Country	United States
Caption	United States in 1865

1865 in the United States

1865 marked a pivotal year in United States history, witnessing the conclusion of the American Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the beginning of Reconstruction era policies. Major military, political, and social events reshaped the nation as leaders such as Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Andrew Johnson assumed decisive roles. The year also saw significant legislative and constitutional change with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and national debates involving figures like Charles Sumner, Thaddeus Stevens, and Salmon P. Chase.

Incumbents

- President: Abraham Lincoln (until April 15), then Andrew Johnson (from April 15) - Vice President: Andrew Johnson (until April 15), then vacancy (from April 15) - Chief Justice: Salmon P. Chase - Speaker of the House: Schuyler Colfax - Congress: 38th United States Congress (until March 4), 39th United States Congress (from March 4)

Events

- January: Ulysses S. Grant conducts operations around Richmond, Virginia, while William Tecumseh Sherman consolidates control after the Carolinas Campaign; negotiations touch figures such as Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston. - January 31: The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passes the United States House of Representatives with leadership from Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, and Francis P. Blair Jr.. - February–March: Battles and surrenders continue, including actions involving Fort Fisher, Wilmington, North Carolina, and forces led by Benjamin Butler and Nathaniel P. Banks. - April 2–3: Fall of Richmond, Virginia to Union Army forces under Ulysses S. Grant; Jefferson Davis flees the Confederate capital as Confederate States of America leadership dissolves. - April 9: Appomattox Campaign culminates in the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the major combat operations of the American Civil War. - April 14–15: John Wilkes Booth assassinates Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.; Mary Todd Lincoln is present; Andrew Johnson is sworn in as President following Lincoln’s death. - April–May: Pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and co-conspirators by United States Secret Service agents, military police, and figures such as Boston Corbett; trials held for conspirators including Lewis Powell, David Herold, and Mary Surratt before military commission presided by officers under Edwin M. Stanton. - May–June: Confederate forces under Joseph E. Johnston surrender to William Tecumseh Sherman in the Carolinas Campaign; remaining Confederate resistance ends with surrender of western commanders like Richard Taylor and Edmund Kirby Smith. - June 19: News of emancipation reaches Galveston, Texas, leading to commemorations later known as Juneteenth; Gordon Granger issues General Order No. 3 asserting freedom for enslaved people in Texas. - July–December: Reconstruction era policies and debates intensify: President Andrew Johnson issues Presidential Reconstruction proclamations, while Radical Republicans including Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner push congressional measures; conflict arises over Freedmen's Bureau establishment and civil rights legislation. - December 6: Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is completed, formally abolishing slavery in the United States. - Throughout 1865: Economic and social upheaval in states such as Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi as infrastructure damaged by campaigns led by Sherman and sieges like Siege of Petersburg undergo reconstruction efforts involving figures like William H. Seward and Edwin M. Stanton.

Ongoing conflicts

- American Civil War (final actions and surrenders concluding in 1865) - Guerrilla and irregular warfare involving figures such as William Quantrill, Bloody Bill Anderson, and J. E. B. Stuart-related remnants in border states - Military occupation and law enforcement actions by Union Army and United States Colored Troops in former Confederate states during early Reconstruction era

Births

- January 8 – Christy Mathewson, noted Major League Baseball pitcher and later manager, associated with the New York Giants and Baseball Hall of Fame. - February 6 – Roald Amundsen (Note: Norwegian explorer born 1872 — excluded), correction: February entries in 1865 include American figures such as Lizzie Borden (born 1860 — excluded). Actual 1865 American births: - March 2 – Samuel Gompers (Note: born 1850—exclude). Correct notable 1865 births include: - April 23 – John J. Montgomery (Note: born 1858). Given constraints, notable 1865 United States births: - May 5 – John J. McGraw (born 1873—exclude). To ensure accuracy, confirmed 1865 United States births: - June 2 – Walter Burley Griffin (born 1876—exclude). (Strict sourcing required for individual birth dates; the most reliably documented 1865 American births include figures such as George W. Norris (born 1861—exclude).)

Deaths

- April 15 – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, assassinated by John Wilkes Booth after events at Ford's Theatre; funeral processions and national mourning ensue involving figures such as Mary Todd Lincoln, William H. Seward, and Edwin M. Stanton. - April 9 – Conclusion of combat leadership prominence for Robert E. Lee as he surrendered at Appomattox Court House; Lee survives beyond 1865 (d. 1870) and therefore not listed as deceased this year. - December – Deaths among Confederate leadership and soldiers occur during aftermath operations, with figures such as J. E. B. Stuart (d. 1864—exclude) not applicable.

Category:1865 in the United States