[DiogenesLamp]

This series covering the events of 160 years ago began at the end of last year (1855). The purpose is to learn about U.S. history leading up to and including the Civil War. I didn't put that in the monthly description appearing in reply #1 of every thread because the war won't start for another five years and I don't want to jinx the plan by promising something that far off. But if all goes well we will be here in April of 1861/2021 when Fort Sumter is bombarded.

Oh. I was unfamiliar with it. So pretty much we need to restrict our discussion to the 1856 and earlier time period?

Okay then.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

So pretty much we need to restrict our discussion to the 1856 and earlier time period?

No hard and fast rules, but that is the general idea. It is okay to relate events of the "current" time to resulting outcomes in the "future." When we had the World War II series going discussion about a few events - I'm thinking of Pearl Harbor and Barbarossa - began years before their 70th anniversaries. Also, as we move along new characters enter the picture who will become more important as time goes on. In 1856 Robert E. Lee was a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Cavalry. I have an excerpt from his biography scheduled for this month. It could be instructive and entertaining to compare the early Lee with the later one.