Civil War at the Smithsonian This site succeeds in its mission of "collecting, preserving, and remembering America's most profound national experience." Nearly a dozen Smithsonian museums contributed photos and descriptions of items relating to the war. An iron slave collar symbolizes the Southern institution that led to the violent division between the states. Compare this with the inkwell Lincoln used to write the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. Through descriptions of the meager provisions and exhibits of artificial limbs, the site details the hardships both sides endured. The site's timeline helps put the collected items in historical context. (in Civil War and Slavery)
