cable television companies, and is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. >> i am standing on the pennsylvania side of the delaware river were behind me is new jersey state capitol of trenton. we are here to learn about its history, including the state capitol built in 1790. >> trenton became the state capitol in 1790. it was selected because of its location, even though we are not in the geographical center of the state. we're saturated on the delaware -- we are situated on the delaware river. it made sense for trenton because trenton was a colossal

name -- because trenton was a household name. it was a center of commerce. william trent had established trenton as a port town. he could feel his merchant ships as far as this point, up to the fall lines of the delaware. it made sense to bring say government here. the building involved over the course of 200 years from 1792 to 1991. 10 different architects, 16 major construction projects. where we are standing, in the, was completed in 1889. the first date house constructed in -- between 1790 in 1792 by jonathan doan, he was the builder, architect. deconstructed a very simple, gorgeous-style building. 215 pounds, which is

$400 today and built on the bluffs overlooking the delaware river. we are fortunate to have portions of that building that still survives the day, including the temperatures that date back -- including the timbers. we are one of the only state capitals that i can think of that you actually enter into after a major thoroughfare. as soon as you walk in off of state street, you are greeted by offices. the governor's office, the treasury's office. it adds to that symbolism of access. the carter building as we see it today is a culmination of 10 different architects, 16 major construction projects. the very first edition that was jonathan doan construction was in 1895 -- 1885. a well-known philadelphia architect established a

greek-revival addition -- edition that enveloped the -- building. significantost advances was the great fire of 1885. it occurred on march 21. leak,nk that it was a gas but has never been fully documented. the effect was quite devastating. it destroyed most of the original 1792 structure. although a portion of it still survives. but also the major addition that have been placed on the building to that point. the result of the 1885 fire was new construction. in 1889, a new state house was constructed. it was built by a philadelphia architect. it was in the american renaissance style.

porticored a very large and a new dome gilded in gold. we are standing right now in the rotunda of the 1889 construction. domes are very symbolic and they symbolize democracy in the sense that here in the rotunda is where citizens can gather. and a citizen stand her love enough, they can have access to government. -- legislators walk by and governors walk by. it is a symbol to our citizens that they have a related play in representative democracy -- they have a role to play in representative democracy. the dome is gilded in gold symbolizing the fact that you can see the dome.

you can see the statehouse on the outside, meaning that our laws are not made in secret. it is on the fica begin. the rotunda -- it is almost like a beacon. it showcases portraits of our early governors. and they circled the rotunda all the way to the third floor. as you continue up, you will come across other governors, property -- governors, perhaps you will come-- across other governors, perhaps most noticeable is -- arch and through an that arch marks the original location of the front door of the 1792 statehouse. as we pass through the arch, you will see a second arch. the first arch was the. front door and the second-largest the back door you

get a sense of how small the original 1792 construction was as the state grew, population grew, government grew and the building that as well. we just enter the governor's reception room. this room was built in 1871. this is used as the governor's reception room. and is also where the governor holds press conferences. oftime you see the governing new jersey -- anytime we see the governor at the statehouse, it is usually right behind the podium. woodrow wilson was the only new jersey government to become president. the portrait that hangs of wilson at the statehouse is his gubernatorial portrait. wilson would recognize this room as a reception room. we are standing in the legislative wing of the statehouse. we are in area called the hall of flags. what is interesting about this location is when you look down

each hallway, you will note they look rather differently. the senate to my left built in 1903, and the general assembly , 1891.is hallway if you look closely, you will see that it is a different architectural style and different materials. example, after 10 different architects, 16 major construction projects, not always did the latest edition match the latest that came before it. this is a porcelain sculpture made at the porcelain studio in trenton. trenton has a very long history of ceramics in the city. it is one of the last videos operating today -- and it is one of the last studios operating today. we are fortunate to have this,

which is called "the glory of new jersey." four of ours state's symbols. are stately is the red outcome of the purple violet is the state flower, the honeybee is the state insect, and the eastern bulfinch is the state bird. we are standing in the public gallery of the general assembly. the chamber was built in 1891 by james moreland was an architect builder as well as a member of the assembly. the chamber features two examples of technology -- the edison chandelier hanging in the center. it was installed by the edison mining company. it consists of 66 lightbulbs and weighs over 1000 pounds. another example of technology is an event that occurred in the chamber, and that is the first transcontinental phone calls from new jersey. they were placed from this

at the world's fair in san francisco. on the walls, we have portrait of our first and 16th president -- washington and lincoln. both president pays had trenton connection -- both presidents had trenton connections. first washington crossed the delaware river it .5 miles up the river and marched the army to trenton and attacked the british shoulders ever occupying the city --british soldiers that were occupying the city. lincoln visited the city in 1861 as a part of his famous, inaugural train trip. it took him from sprinkle to washington and he stopped in a northern cities, towns and hamlets as will the state capitals along the way. he stopped here in jersey to address the legislature. only northern the state that lincoln did not when

and in the popular vote. electoral awon the margin of 4-3. so, he understood that not all of the members of the new jersey legislature were supportive. by the timely can arrived here, seven states have party succeeded from the union and there was a confederate president in place. reasons forhad two stopping -- one, he wanted to be a tourist. he understood how important trenton was for the winning of the american revolution and i like george washington, i made reference to that in his speech to the legislature. of course, the second reason was a more political reason. and that is the pending conflict , which of course, which was the american civil war. what is interesting about lincoln's visit to new jersey is in the other state capitals, he actually addressed a concurrent, or joint sessions of the legislature. he had one speech that he was getting.

for example, one speech he gave in connecticut. by the time he arrived in new jersey, for some reason, there wasn't a joint session, but rather, he addressed each house separately, which meant he had to come up with a second speech, somewhat extemporaneously. his first speech that he gave to the senate talked about trenton and how famous trenton was to the winning of the american revolution, and the second speech to the general assembly, he was more poignant. he addressed the members saying of them were not of this party, do not support him, but by the fact that he invited him here, the recognized him as the head of state. he went further to say that we are going through some difficult times. and that is a family, we can work this through. but if we cannot work through our difficulties, he was prepared to stand down on tyranny.

and he motioned with his foot, stamping on the ground. it was a clear indication that lincoln was prepared to use force to keep the unit together. it occurred right here in trenton. we are on the floor of the new jersey senate. the chamber was built in 1903 by arnold moses. he was a new jersey architect from merchant bill, new jersey. it is any neoclassical style. what is unique about the architecture at the statehouse is how different the building is depending on which architect constructs the wing. with the in contrast general assembly where we just came from. the senate architecture really conveys a strong sense of the senate itself. hencessical architecture back to the origin of the senate to greek and roman architecture. takes their food traditions back to the house of lords and the other house of

parliament. communicate are sense of formality, if you will. one of the features of the room on the murals that were painted in 1903. the painter was best-known for the murals he did at the panama canal. but the murals represent liberty and prosperity. the middle mural quite clearly depicts liberty. here, she is holding a musket rather than a liberty cap. and prosperity is holding the foreign. thend prosperity is holding horn. william livingston is up there. he was the first governor and served from 1776 to 1790. george michael and's name is up ullen's namerge mcc is up there. embark on theo

restoration of the executive statehouse. the executive statehouse is a portion of the statehouse that faces state street and includes the governor's office and all the various offices related to the offices of government. if you are walking by today, you would notice there are many windows that have been boarded up. there are lots of work crews, as barriers, all in preparation for the restoration of the executive statehouse, which is set to begin sometime this summer. i always feel the new jersey state capitol is a working building. it is not as monumental as some of the other state capitals are. but as soon as you enter the building, you get a sense that this is a working building. as i mentioned, i finish you walk in, off of a major thoroughfare, you are greeted by the lieutenant government's

office. as you enter the building, you get this sense of change. 16different architects over major construction projects. you can see how eclectic the building is just as our state is eclectic. for staff travel to trenton, new jersey to learn about its rich history. learn more about trenton and other stops on our tour at c-span.org/citiestour. you are watching american history tv on c-span3. history,tures and dorton university professor brian taylor teaches a class on the military strategy and political policy of emancipation during the civil war. he talks about how ending slavery became a major goal of

the union as the war progressed, and discusses the piecemeal ways slavery was ended in border states and in confederate territory. emancipation was a process achieved gradually rather than happening just by the emancipation proclamation, or the 13th amendment. his class is about one hour and 10 minutes. taylor: we will be focusing on the central question whycivil war history about this war that starts over the issue of slavery, but becomes the war that ends slavery in the united states. there is nothing inevitable about the outcome, and this image, i want to start with, sums up the transformation of the civil war works in american life about his elegantly -- about as eloquently than what i will say today. it this