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The American Civil War
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The Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 is the main event that actually triggered the civil war. The main competition for president was between Abraham Lincoln, a republican, and John C. Breckinridge, a southern democrat. This election is the reason why the South seceded from the union. The election of Abraham Lincoln would result in actions opposed by the south. The south created the confederate army which was led by Rober E. Lee. -
Jefferson Davis
Jeferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America during the civil war. For the most part, Davis actually argued against secession, but he had to give in to what the mjority of the South was saying. His actions throughout the civil war caused immense hate in the North against him. He is now criticized for having horrible military strategies. The south might have done better throught the war had it not been for him. -
Fort Sumter
The confederacy demanded that the union must surrender Fort Sumter in South Carolina. After Abraham Lincoln sent an expedition to send supplies for troops at the fort, the south opened fire on the union soldiers. This battle sprung the civil war and led to the first union defeat. This battle is what really stirred up the north and even the south. -
The Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run is considered to be the first major battle on land in the civil war. The Union army intended to attack the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia under General Irvin McDowell. Confederate forces fought back and eventually won the battle. This battle made the North realize that attacking the capital was most likely no going to work. It also made both sides of the war realize that the entire was not going to last as short as they expected. -
Ulysses Grant
General Ulysses S. Grant was a general of the union's volunteer soldiers. He is considered to be a very agressive general and he was able to work his way up from a simple trainer to an expert general. His actions led to Union victory in the civil war and led to the killing of the Confederatre States of America. His agressiveness during the Civil war later earned him respect throughout the nation and made hime th18th president of the United States. -
George McClellan
For some of the civil war, George McClellan served as general in chief in the union army. He was responsible for organizing and training the Union army. His efforts led to success for the union because he turned poor volunteers into strong fighters. The general's planning skills were considered better than his skills as a general on the battle field according to Lincoln. Lincoln removed him from office, but McClellan's training stayed with the soldiers. -
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Thomas Jackson is a well known confederate general given the nickname "stonewall" for his skills in the battle of bull run. He is one of the major reasons why the confederates won a series of battles in the Valley Campaign. His actions led to many victories that raised confederate hopes and crushed the hopes of the Union. He used his strategic plans and his intelligence to keep the Confederacy going. -
Winfield Scott and The Anaconda Plan
Winfield Scott, the old fuss and feathers, was a general for the Union in the Civil War. His anaconda plan was made to close off major southern ports and the Mississippi River. This plan closed off any possibilities of the south getting necessary supplies, thus constricting the south. This plan was the main reasonfor the union's success throughout the war. -
Monitor and Merrimac
The battle of Monitor and Merrimac was the first fight between two different ironclad warships during the American Civil War. The Monitor was the Union's ship and the Merrimac was the Confederate's ship. This battle led to many new additions to the iron clad ship for future battling purposes. The Union won this battle due to their superiority as a naval power in comparison to the South. The efficiency of later battles was improved because of new technologies used in the sea. -
Robert E. Lee
Robert Lee was the commanding general of the confederate army during the civil war. Lee used many smart tactics for his Army of Northern Virginia. This led to many defeats for the union army all across Virginia. His plan was to ruin the North's morale, thus creating a weaker army to fight against. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle was the first major battle on northern soil. There was an estimated 23000 casualties on this battle for both the North and the South.This battle gave Abraham Lincoln the confidence to make his Emancipation Proclamation. This kept strong foreign nations from recognizing the confederacy. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation freed many slaves throughout the United States. It gave freedom to 3.1 million slaves throughout the nation. This caused the freed slaves to join the war effort with the Union. It gave the Union the upper hand and it left the African Americans in good favor with the North. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought between the confederate army of northern Virginia and the union Army of Potomac. This battle was considered to be one-sided and it left the confederacy victorious. The Union under General Ambrose E. Burnside had two times mores casualties than the confederacy. This battle caused Lincoln to figure out ways to raise the union army's hopes. -
The Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg was one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War. The battle ended in Union victory in the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. This battle along with the battle of gettysburg served as the turning point in the civil war. This is when the union finally started to see that the battle of gettysburg wasn't just out of luck. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The battle of Gettysburg had the most number of casualties theoughout the civil war. It is today considered the turning point battle of the civil war. After countless Confederate victories, the union finally had success and was about to change the wy people thought of the war. The Battle gave the North the belief that they would win after they thought there was no chance of surviving the war. -
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg address was given by presdient Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most famous American speeches of all time. It was given to dedicate The Soldiers' National Cemetery. His speech moved a lot of the Union and it brought to light the causes and effects of the civil war. Many people throughout the North were now against the war and wanted immediate peace. -
Sherman's March
Sherman's March was led by Maj. General William Tecumseh Sherman. The march ended with the caputre of the major port called port savannah. This march led to the destruction of many of the south's resources because General Sherman destroyed everything in his path. Many of the civilians in the south were left in dispair after their property was destroyed. -
Appomattox Court House
Appomattox court house is the event in which general Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant. Cheers arose throughout the North because of the Union victory. This event ended the Civil War and forced the Confederacy to come back to the union. This also led to both the Union and Confederacy compromising with each other. -
Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater. Booth and a few others in the South wanted the confederates to keep on fighting even though the war was drawing to a close. The death of Lincoln left the Union in despair. Some conspirators in the South though were hoping that Lincoln's death would keep the war going.
