The Civil War: 150 Years. National Park Service Sesquicentennial Commemoration.

Then: July 4, 1861

Special Session of Congress

President Lincoln convenes a special session of Congress to ask for help conducting and funding the war and outlines the events that ignited the conflict.

Speeches: President Lincoln's Message to Congress
Archives: The Handwritten Speech

Now: September 2, 2005

Emergency Response

Congress calls itself into an emergency session to authorize $62.3 billion in aid for the recent victims of Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast.

Stories: A Brief History of Congressional Special Sessions
Related: Types of Sessions of Congress