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Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln, ultimately creating a domino effect that lead to the Civil War. The first chain was when South Carolina seceeded from the Union, shortly followed by the other southern states. The issue of states rights had been on the forefront of their mind, and they were convinced Lincoln was going to infringe on their right to be slave-owners. Lincoln, determined to keep the Union together, warns the South, leading to an all out Civil War. -
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The American Civil War
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Election of Jefferson Davis
The election of Jefferson Davis showed the determination of the south to be it's own, and to lead itself rather than by an "abusive" central government. As President of the Confederacy, he assisted in writing the constitution which prohibited the government to levy a protective tariff, which ultimately caused the downfall of the Confederacy due to lack of funds. During his presidency he attempted to increase his power, but the selfish governments centralized an effort to prevent it. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was attacked by and captured by the Confederacy when Lincoln announced he was sending food to it, showing the hostility between the Confederacy and the Union. Lincoln did not want to fire the first shot upon the Confederacy because that would appear as violent, while after this attack, he was able to fight back the South to keep the Union together, rather than people seeing it as oppressing the south. -
Enactment of the Anaconda Plan
Winfield Scott created the Anaconda Plan as a way to cut off supplies to the south, making it easier for the North to win the war. The plan placed Naval blockades around the south and up the Mississippi River, blocking all imports and exports to and from the South, ripping apart their supplies and morale. While Winfield Scott created the plan, he retired before he could carry it out, so the effort was taken over by General George McClellan. -
First Battle of Bull Run
First major battle of the war, the North marched to Bull Run Creek in Virginia, but were embarassingly pushed back by General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. The battle showed how inexperienced some of the Union soldiers war, and promoted the idea that the Rebels were invincible in battle and were prepeared for whatever the Union threw at them. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was a big win for the North, helping their morale in the war effort against the rebels. In this battle, Ulysses S. Grant also shined through the battlefields leading the Union into unconditional victory, rising Grant from a low military position to Major General and earning him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender". -
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimac
The Merrimac was an ironclad Confederate ship that they used to sink the wooden ships of the Union that were part of the Anaconda Plan. To prevent the victory of the Confederates ironclad ship, the Union made one of their own named the Monitor. The two ships dueled for hours, and the battle ended in a draw because neither could defeat the other. Overall, the duel between the two proved more useful for the north, shutting down the souths most powerful counterattack. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was initially an effort of Lee after Bull Run to defeat the North again and gain support from Britain. But a fleeing confederate officer dropped battle plans earlier, and McClellan got a hold of them so he was able to intercept the Confederate troops at Antietam Creek. Antietam was the bloodiest day of the war, 22,000 casualties in one day of battle. After the Union troops forced the Confederates to retreat, McClellan retreated too, causing Lincoln to remove him. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
After McClellan was replaced with General Burnside, Lincoln discovered that recklessness was worse than caution. In Fredericksburg, the Union suffered an immense blow to their forces and their morale, while the Confederates completely stomped the Union, proving to be Robert E. Lee's first decisive and large victory over the Union. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves that were in the states in rebellion against the United States, so when it was issued, it did not free a single slave, because the South refused to listen and it didn't affect the north. But as time progressed, the North used this to push further south and free slaves as they moved on, and blacks that wanted freedom assisted the North in their war efforts against the Confederates. -
Death of Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson died 8 days after the Battle of Chancellorsville, because he was shot and had to have his left arm amputated, but the operation failed and he caught pneumonia and died from it's complications. His death was a major morale blow to the south, as they lost one of their best military commanders. After Stonewalls death, Robert E. Lee said "Jackson may have lost his left arm, but I have lost my right," leading one to assume Lee felt the morale hit just as badly. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg was one of two wins that brought about the turning point in the war for the Union. For seven weeks, Union artillery bombarded Vicksburg, which they surrended on July 4th, after losing 29,000 soldiers. The capture of Vicksburg now gave the Union full length control over the Mississippi river and could cut off Texas Louisiana and Arkansas. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was the second in two of the Unions crushing wins which brought about the turning point of the war. Hoping to capture a major city in the north to bring about a surrender or foreign intervention, Lee advanced into Gettysburg and surprised the Union troops there. Although he had surprise on his side, the Confederates were pushed back and what was left of Lee's forces retreated back to Virginia. After Gettysburg, the Confederates never regained their offensive attack. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a speech dedicated to the casualties of the Battle of Gettysburg four months prior to the speech. The speech proved to bring together the Union, rose morale, and overall empowered the north to finish out the war effort for the freedom of the Union and the unity of the United States once again, all in under two minutes. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March was an effort of General William Teccumseh Sherman with 100,000 men to march from the north to the south to capture the South, marching through South Carolina and Georgia destroying everything in it's path. The intended effects of the march were successful; to break the Confederacy's will and its will to fight on. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
The Confederate government tried to negotiate with Lincoln and the Union for peace, but Lincoln would have nothing but the restoration of the Union, while Jefferson Davis still requested independence. Lee retreated Richmond with his 30,000 troops, but Grant cut him of at Appomattox Courthouse and forced Lee to surrender. The Union was even polite and let the Confederates return to their homes with their horses and weapons, peacefully. -
Lincoln Assassination
