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The American Civil War
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Election of 1860
The election of 1860 triggered the decision of the South to leave the Union. Lincoln was not against slavery, but was against the expantion of slavery. Douglas was the leading candidate for the democrats. And the south thought that if Lincoln won, that slavery would eventually disappear. -
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis served as the President of the Confederate States of America. He tried to find a plan to beat the Union, but never could. Jefferson paid little attention to the south's economy, printing more paper money to cover the war's expenses. That is why some historians blame the South's loss on its political leadership. -
Robert E. Lee
He became the commanding general of the Confederate army and the reason for why the south lost. He had many victories such as the Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of cold Harbor, Seven Days Battles, and also the Second Battle of Bull Run. Lee tried to win the civil war by adopting a plan to make slaves fight on behalf of the Confederacy. But, the decision was too late and the slaves never fought. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was near Charleston, South Carolina and this battle started the Civil War. Fort Sumter was cut off from supplies and reinforcements by southern control of the harbor. But instead of attempting to defend Fort Sumter, Lincoln gave South Carolina the choice of either permitting the fort to hold out or open fire with its shore batteries. During the war, this fort was in the hands of the Confederacy, but days after Lee's surrender the Union took it back. -
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was a military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. The union defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America. He fought in the Mexican American War. He later resigned from the army in 1854, but in 1861 he joined the Union. -
Winfield Scott and the Anaconda Plan
Winfield Scott, General-in-Chief, proposed an outline stratrgy for subduing the seceding states in the Civil War. This plan emphasized the blockade of the Southern ports, and gave us an advance down the Mississippi River to cut the South in two. The blockade had already been proclaimed by President Lincoln a week after Fort Sumter. -
Battle of Bull Run
This was the first major battle of the war, where 30,000 federal troops marched from Washington, D.C., to attack Cofederate army. When the Union forces seemed close to victory, the Confederacy, under General Thomas Jackson, sent the Union back to Washington. There was then a second battle on August 28, 1862. This second battle was also fought on the same ground, but with more people. -
George McClellan
He was a major general during the Civil War. He organized the famous Army of Potomac, and also served as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. His role was to raise a well-trained and organized army for the union. He failed to maintain the trust of Lincoln. -
Monitor and Merrimac
The battle of the Monitor and Merrimac was arguably the most important battle of the civil war. This battle was a part of the effort of the confederacy to break the union blockade, which had cut off Virginia's largest cities. The significance of the battle is that it was the first meeting in combat of warship. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg. It was the fist major battle in the civil war to take place on northern territory. The confederacy went into Maryland, and the Union attacked the confederacy. But then the confederate major general's division arrived from Harpers Ferry and launched a surprise attack. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an exucutive order issued by the Lincoln. This proclamation proclaimed the freedom of slaves. In September, Lincoln announced that he would issue a formal emancipation of all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia. The union assaulted the Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city. Burnside's plan was to cross the Rappahannock River in November and race to the Confederate capital of Richmond before Lee's army could stop him. -
Thomas Stonewall Jackson
Thomas was a Confederate general and also a well know Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. He was accidentally shot by Confederate pickets at the Battle of Chancellorsville, he survived with the loss of an arm to amputation. He was a huge help at the First Battle of Bull Run. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Thousands of ragged, southern soldiers poured into the city of Vicksburg from everywhere. Vicksburg had been the object of intense Union attention since the start of the war. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle was the battle with the largest number of casualties in civil war. And it was also the war's turning point. It ended Lee's invasion of the north. THis battle lasted for three days on July 1,2, and 3. The union won this battle. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by Lincoln and is one of the best-known speeches in U.S. history. This speech is given by Lincoln, at the dedication of the Soldiers' NNational Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was four and a half months after the Union defeated the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Sherman’s March
William Tecumseh Sherman in 1864 commanded the union armies of the west in the drive from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Sherman's troops carried the war to the southern home front and created a wide path of destruction that lead to the death of the confederacy's ability to fight. -
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Court House is a structure within the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. It is located three miles northeast of the town of Appomattox in Appomattox Country, Virginia. After four years of war, Lee and Grant met in the Appomattox Court House and Lee surrendered. -
Lincoln’s Assassination
Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.. John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in an effort to rally the remaining Confederate troops to contunue fighting. He was attending a stage performance of "our American Cousin" with his wife.
