1876 image shows Americans marking the nation’s 100th birthday with a Fourth of July flag raising near the U.S. Capitol. Coming just a decade after the Civil War, reflecting a country still healing but determined to emphasize unity and shared history. The presence of families and children points to how patriotism was taught and passed down, not just celebrated. At a time when the United States was expanding and modernizing, the flag stood as a reminder of the Revolutionary era and the ideals the country claimed to carry forward.
Group of Civil War Veterans Pose Outdoors
A group of Civil War veterans pose outdoors long after the war, likely at a reunion tied to the Third Battle of Winchester. Their ribbon badges mark their service, while the American flag at the center points back to the cause they once fought for. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, gatherings like this were common, giving aging veterans a chance to reconnect, remember shared experiences, and publicly claim their place in the nation’s story after the war had passed into history.