I mentioned this as my favourite fun fact in a recent interview with the BBC, so I decided to repost it. Not sorry! Did you know that arguably the most defining war of the past two centuries, the American Civil War (1861-1865), was fought between two “Welshmen” (Welsh-Americans, anyway) leaders with very strong connections to gogledd Cymru (north Wales)?
The 16th President of the United States and leader of the Union during the war, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), had maternal grandparents from Ysbyty Ifan, Conwy.
As for Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), who led the Confederacy during the war, his paternal grandparents hailed from Eryri, Gwynedd.
Never let someone convince you that we gogs irrelevant!
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DIGITAL Welsh Histories Magazine – January 2026
Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.