The American Civil War is not as far in the past as one might think
The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865 and forever changed the US as a country. It may seem far in the past to newer generations, but the direct consequences of it are still being felt today. For instance, the government still paid Civil War veteran pensions until 2012.
The last Civil War veteran to die was Albert Henry Woolson, who had been a member of the Union Army during the war. He lived to the ripe old age of 106. He was born in 1850 and passed away in 1956.