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Confederate States are formed with Jefferson Davis as the president.
The confederate states left emphasizing states’ rights as the reason for leaving the Union. -
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as president of the United States.
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Civil War has begun
Confederates fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
This was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. -
Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee
For the Union these battles were the first significant Union victories of the American Civil War. -
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack
The Monitor fights battle against the Confederate ironclad Virginia (Merrimac) off the coast of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Most consider this battle a draw. -
Battle and Capture of New Orleans
This was the largest confederate city captured and was a major turning point as it would lead to the capture of the Mississippi River. -
The Battle of Antietam
Bloodiest day of the Civil War occurs in areas of the Cornfield, Bloody Lane, and Burnside Bridge. Confederate States are not recognized as a nation afterwards as the Emancipation Proclamation was able to take place. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
Simply put the the proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the southern states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Battle of Gettysburg
Largest Battle of the war with over 50,000 injured or dead. This battle was the turning point of the Civil War and it led to the Union succeeding as a nation. -
Lee Surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse
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Abrahama Lincoln dies at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth, and advocate of slavery and the confederate states. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is passed by Congress
The first federal law protecting the rights of African Americans. It is vetoed by President Johnson, but the veto overridden by Congress. -
KKK is formed
The Klu Klux Klan forms to discourage blacks from voting, issuing a brutal and shameful era of terror and crime in the southern states as civil rights for freed slaves emerged from the Civil War. -
Andrew Johnson is impeached
The impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson begins in the Senate. Johnson was charged for violating the Tenure of Office Act by trying to remove Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. -
The first Black Friday
The first Black Friday occurs in New York City. -
First African American in Congress
The first African-American to be sworn into office in the United States Congress, Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi takes his place in the United States Senate. -
First National Park
The world's first national park is established when President Grant signs legislation enabling the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. -
Civil Rights Restored
Civil rights are restored to citizens of the South with the passage of the Amnesty Act of 1872 and its signing by President Ulysses S. Grant. -
Economic depression begins in New York
An economic depression begins when the New York stock market crashed, setting off a financial panic that caused bank failures. The impact of the depression would continue for five years. -
First Zoo in the U.S.A.
The first zoo opens in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. -
Civil Rights Act passed
The Civil Rights Act, giving equal rights to blacks in jury duty and accommodation, is passed by the United States Congress. -
Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition
The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, a world's fair meant to celebrate the 100th birthday of the United States opens in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. -
Phonograph patented
Thomas Edison patents the cylinder phonograph or tin foil phonograph. -
Edison Electric Company starts
The Edison Electric Company begins operation. -
Albert Einstein is born
Albert Einstein, who would later revolutionize modern Physics, is born in Germany. -
Panama Canal is being built
The construction of the Panama Canal begins under French auspices and would be bought by the United States twenty-four years later under President Theodore Roosevelt. -
Oriental Telephone Company is formed
Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt is born
Future president Franklin D. Roosevelt is born at his home in Hyde Park, New York. -
Statue of Liberty arrives
The Statue of Liberty arrives for the first time in New York harbor. -
Coca Cola is made
Dr. John Pemberton, a Georgia pharmacist, invents coca-cola, a carbonated beverage. On May 29, Pemberton began to advertise Coca-Cola in the Atlanta Journal. -
Pearl Harbor Naval Base leased
Pearl Harbor naval base is leased by the United States Navy, upon approval of the U.S. Senate. -
Washington Monument is open to everyone
The Washington Monument officially opens to the general public. Within a few short years, old maps of Washington will showcase the monument as one of the nation's most iconic symbols. -
International Copyright Act of 1891.
The 51st Congress of the United States passes the International Copyright Act of 1891. -
The First Olympics start
The first modern Olympic Games is held in Athens, Greece. Thirteen nations participated, including the United States of America. It was held in Panathinaiko Stadium and had originated from an 1894 congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin who established the International Olympic Committee. -
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush begins with the arrival of the first prospectors in Seattle. The Gold Rush would be chronicled beginning eight days later when Jack London sails to the Klondike and writes his tales. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish American War begins. -
The United States annexes Hawaii
The United States annexes the independent republic of Hawaii. -
The United States Congress approves voting machines in elections
The United States Congress approves the use of voting machines in federal elections. -
First Plane
Inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright succeed in the first sustained and manned plane flight. The plane, mechanically propelled with a petroleum engine, flew 120 feet in 12 seconds, and also, flew 852 feet in 59 seconds. They would patent the Airplane three years later on May 22, 1906. -
World War 1
World War 1 starts in Europe and from there it's history. -
WW1 ends
The Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending World War I. -
League of Nations
The League of Nations is established with the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, ending the hostilities of the first World War. -
First Winter Olympic Games
The first Winter Olympic Games is held in the French Alps. -
Martin Luther King Jr. is born
Martin Luther King Jr., Future Civil Rights Leader, is born.