On this day 160 years ago (4/6/1866), the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was formed. It was a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans that became a powerful political force, arguing for pensions for Union veterans, equal treatment for Black veterans, and more.

Image: GAR medal. Parsa.

April 06, 2026 - 12:37 UTC

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Thank you for the reminder. Here's a Google street view of the GAR Museum in Springfield, Illinois, owned by the Women’s Relief Corps. Sadly, they had to close it down in the last few years.
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suvcw.org/brief-history-of-the-grand-army-of-the-republic
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