Charles Callum, a master con artist, reinvented himself multiple times during the Gilded Age, manipulating politicians and authorities to achieve his goals, including pardons from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. His life reveals the malleability of identity during this period, as he assumed various personas and evaded detection. [... more]

Robert E. Lee, a complex and beloved general, made a series of decisions that would alter the course of his life and history. He rejected command of the Union Army and resigned from the military, citing his inability to raise his sword against his native state of Virginia. However, Lee's motivations were more nuanced, and he was driven by a desire to preserve his family's property and protect his relatives in Virginia. As the war progressed, Lee became a key figure in the Confederate Army, leading his troops in a series of battles, including the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg. Despite his military successes, Lee's ultimate defeat at Gettysburg marked a turning point in the war, and the Confederacy's fortunes began to decline. [... more]

Charles Callum, a world-class con artist, reinvented himself multiple times during the Gilded Age, duping the British government, President Abraham Lincoln, and President Jefferson Davis, and even running for office in Florida. [... more]

A world-class con artist, Charles Callum, reinvented himself multiple times during the Gilded Age, duping the British government, running for office, and even staging his own death, leaving a trail of deceit and intrigue in his wake. [... more]

Charles Callum, a notorious con artist, reinvented himself multiple times during the Gilded Age, duping prominent figures including Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, and even faking his own death, showcasing the malleability of identity during this unique era in American history. [... more]

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, became the first wired president by embracing the telegraph, a technology that allowed him to project presidential power and win the Civil War. He spent much of his presidency in the War Department's telegraph office, monitoring the latest intelligence and communicating with his generals and family. Lincoln's use of the telegraph revolutionized the way a national leader could interact with their military officers, and his personal stories and anecdotes have been preserved through the accounts of the telegraph operators who worked with him. [... more]