Upfront teacher's edition.

• Author: Rebhun, Elliott
• Position: Brief article - Column

As part of our series on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and its impact on America today, our cover story examines an overlooked episode in the first weeks of the war that turned out to have enormous ramifications: the story of three Virginia slaves who rowed across the James River in May 1861 and sought asylum at a Union fort. Their courageous act set off a chain of events that ultimately helped force President Lincoln's hand in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation a year and a half later.

With a struggling economy and other critical issues, Washington has plenty on its plate. But a growing gulf between the two parties has led to capital gridlock, with little getting done, and Americans wondering if this is any way to run a country. We look at what's behind the gridlock, and some...