1865: The United States Civil War ends when General Robert E. Lee, representing the Army of the Confederacy, surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, on April 9. The last regiment of the Confederate army does not officially surrender until the end of the following month.

Today: Peace treaties to end international conflicts are often supervised by an independent body, such as NATO or the United Nations.

1865: The principle methods of transportation are horses, steam-powered locomotive, and the steamship.

Today: Nearly nine million cars are sold in the United States each year, and airlines have more passengers than they can handle.

1865: An American inventor is able to create ice with a compression machine that he designed.

Today: Refrigeration and air conditioning are common and are taken for granted by most Americans.

1865: After losing the Civil War, the political structure of the South is taken...