and the recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously. Until 1914 the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart were the only medals that could be received so prior to 1916 the criteria for the Medal of Honor were much less restrictive than it is today. In 1916 however a board was established to ensure that future awards would be made only for the highest purposes, and some awards were rescinded. Since the institution of the Medal of Honor, at least 17 have been presented to American Jews, of which four were received posthumously. American Civil War The American Civil War was a major conflict fought between the federal government of the United States and eleven of its member States which sought to secede and to create their own government, the Confederate States of America. It started on April 12, 1861, shortly after Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States, and ended four years later on April 9, 1865. During the war over 10,000 military engagements took place and more than 3 million people fought on both sides with 40% of the battles being fought in the states of Virginia and Tennessee. Since its creation, 1522 servicemen have received the Medal of Honor for actions during the American Civil War and depending on sources, at least four were Jewish. Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation Indian Wars Indian Wars is the name generally used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between the colonial or federal government and the native people of North America. The wars, which ranged from the 17th-century to the early 1900s, generally resulted in the opening of Native American lands to further colonization, the conquest of American Indians and their assimilation, or forced relocation to Indian reservations. From the time the Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War, through the end of the Indian Wars there were 426 recipients who received it for actions in one of the Indian Wars, including one American Jew, Simon Suhler, who received it under the name Charles Gardner. Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the