RSS FeedHistory on Foot: Willard Hotel and the Civil War
Have you ever noticed the assorted plaques on the exterior of the Willard Hotel (1401 Penn. Ave. NW). A lot of history has taken place at this spot. One notable event, the Peace Convention held in February 1861, “the last major effort to restore the Union and prevent the Civil War.”
Unfortunately, the proposed amendment to the Constitution developed by the 131 statesmen at the Convention didn’t satisfy the need for true compromise around key issues dividing the parties, namely slavery. The proposal was rejected by the Senate and never came to a vote in the House. Plans to continue the negotiations started at the Convention at another meeting in June never came about because of the events at Fort Sumter in April 1861 and the start of the Civil War.
It’s hard not to wonder about how our country would be different today if compromise would have been reached at the Convention and the Civil War had never been fought.
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Thank you for sharing! RT @pqliving: @WillardHotel and a key historical moment in the Civil War
http://t.co/ly5IvBgtr5