This week marked the anniversary of the end of the most deadly war our country has ever known. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his 28,000 starving and defeated troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox, Virginia. For most, the end of the war was joyful news, as the US embarked on a rebuilding phase. The nation’s joy would be short-lived, however—just 5 days later, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer conspiring to overthrow the US government. But despite this enormous tragedy taking place while the wounds of war were still fresh, somehow they healed, making the Civil War the last time that our great nation would be divided within its borders. Instead, history shows that our country pulls together in times of crisis, strengthening the bonds established by our forefathers on that April day. And although, just like the rest of the world, the US is an ever-changing place, this is one thing we all hope never changes.