Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm, in present day LaRue County, Kentucky. He was born on February 12, 1809. His father was a farmer named Thomas Lincoln. His mothers name was Nancy and she would only live until 1818. As a result, Abraham's father married Sarah Bush Johnston the following year. Sarah proved to be a positive influence in Abraham's life. She encouraged him to get an education. Abraham enjoyed reading everything from the Bible to Shakespeare. Then in 1831, the family moved to Illinois. Shortly afterward, Abraham left the family farm and moved to New Salem, Illinois. The Black Hawk War broke out in 1832, the militia in New Salem elected Lincoln their captain.

In 1841, Douglass became aware of William Loyd Garrison and his abolitionist movement. Frederick became known to his abolitionist group called the American Anti-Slavery Society when he attended a meeting. At the meeting he was asked by Garrison to say a few words about his experiences as a slave. Douglass kept the audience spellbound for two hours with the richly detailed stories of his life. Soon afterward, Frederick began touring the free states and speaking at abolitionist meetings. In 1845, he released his first book entitled the “Life of Frederick Douglass.” It sold sold more than 30,000 copies over the next 5 years. It was so well written that many doubted a slave could have written it.

Harriet and her husband moved to New Brunswick, Maine in 1850. While she was there the Southern legislature passed the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act gave the slave owners new powers in capturing escaped slaves. It also mandated that the people in the North aid the slave owners in the retrieving of their property (the slaves). The new act angered Harriet, so she decided to do something about it. With her families encouragement she began writing a novel about slavery at night while her children slept. It was her intention to show people the true horrors of slavery. Before she started writing she read several books about the subject including “American Slavery as It Is” by Theodore Dwight Weld. She also exchanged letters with Frederick Douglass. Her book was called “Uncle Tom's Cabin” and it became the most important antislavery literature in American history. By the time the Civil War broke out it had sold 1 million copies.

In 1849, Brodas's son died and she learned that she was going to be sold to pay off his debts. Even worse, she was told that she was going to be taken to the Deep South to pick cotton. A few nights later she left the plantation and went to a nearby home where she knew that the Underground Railroad operated. The Underground Railroad was a network of anti-slavery sympathizers who aided fugitive slaves in their quest for freedom. The woman in the house directed her to another safe house. For the next few days, Harriet traveled at night with the help of strangers. At times they hid her in a vegetable wagon. Other times she pretended to be a servant. Finally, after traveling for more than 100 miles she crossed the border into Pennsylvania a free state.

After returning to the theater he began performing all over the United States and earned an amazing $20,000 a year. Then when the war broke out he moved to Washington D.C. where he began appearing at the Ford Theater. At this time he was smuggling medical supplies to the South. Acting made Booth a rich man, and he became very famous. At this time the ladies loved him as he was considered to be very handsome. John Booth was described as having jet black hair and ivory skin. Before long, Booth developed a severe hatred of Abraham Lincoln. He called him a tyrant and blamed him for the fall of the Confederacy. Then in 1864, Booth traveled to Montreal, Canada where he met with Confederate officials. There he devised a plot to kidnap Lincoln after his inauguration.

Immediately afterward he reported to Texas as a second lieutenant in the infantry. Just 3 years later he was transferred to the Oregon Territory where engaged in several conflicts with hostile Native Americans. He would be elevated to first lieutenant as the Civil War approached because many officers had deflected to the Confederate Army. When the war broke out Sheridan was living in St. Louis, Missouri, working in administration. At the time he was issuing vouchers for supplies that he had procured from Confederate sympathizers. Sheridan soon found himself threatened with court martial, but instead of court martial he was elevated to captain. During the next year he became close friends with William Tecumseh Sherman and General Gordon Granger. When Granger received a promotion he put Sheridan in charge of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry.

Consequently, the family was supported largely by a relative named William Henry Fitzhugh. When Robert was a teenager, Fitzhugh wrote a letter to the Secretary of War John C. Calhoun telling him about Lee's prominent family and how he should be admitted to the United States Military Academy in West Point. Instead of mailing it he had Robert deliver it himself, which was a great idea as Lee got in the following year. Robert focused on engineering during his 4 years at West Point. He graduated in 1829, as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. Shortly after graduation Lee returned home to find his mother on her deathbed. She died July 26, 1829. Just two years later he married the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, Mary Ann Randolph Curtis. They would have seven children.

Hiram Ulysses Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio on April 22, 1822. His parents were Jesse Root Grant, a tanner, and Hannah Simpson Grant. The family moved to the community of Georgetown the year following his birth. Soon afterward, his mother gave birth to two more boys and three girls. Ulysses did not like working in the family tannery, instead he preferred to work on the family farm. While growing up in Georgetown, he attended school on a regular basis. Then when he was 17 years old Congressman Thomas L. Hamer nominated him for the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Hamer mistakenly wrote down his name as Ulysses S. Grant. It did not take long before his fellow students started calling him Sam, in regards to his first two initials which were U.S. He graduated in 1843, ranked 21st out of 39. Renowned for his horsemanship he was assigned to to the 4th Infantry Regiment where he became a quartermaster in charge of supplies.

The Battle of Vicksburg had in effect cut the Confederacy vertically, east from west. Now, with his victory in Chattanooga, Sherman had a chance to bisect the Confederacy horizontally, upper from lower. Before long, General Sherman and his men were fighting against the Confederate forces for control of Atlanta, Georgia. The Confederates were led by General Joseph E. Johnston who put up a gallant fight before losing Atlanta to Sherman on Sept. 2, 1864. The victory proved to be crucial in getting President Lincoln re-elected the following fall. He and his men destroyed everything of value in Atlanta.