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Trent Affair
Union Captain Charles Wilkes intercepted the RMS Trent (British Royal Mail paddle steamer) and captured two Confederate diplomats who were attempting to work out possible financial support from Britain for the south. Because Abraham Lincoln did not want to risk war with Britain, he released both diplomats and allowed them to go to Britain (they were denied). -
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The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, more known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a two day battle which occurred between the Confederate and Union armies in Hardin County, TN. Union forces under the commandment of Ulysses S. Grant moved along the Tennessee River and had initially tried to perform a sneak attack on the opposing army. However, they had been sneaked on instead, but still won the battle. -
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The Battle of Chattanooga
The Battle of Chattanooga were a series of three battle waged by Union and Confederate armies: First Battle of Chattanooga (June 7-8, 1862), Second Battle of Chattanooga (August 21, 1863), and Chattanooga Campaign (November 23-25, 1863). -
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Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles are a total of seven battles that were fought during the Civil War near Richmond, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee, the leader of the Confederate side, was able, in the end, to drive the Union army down with retreat into the Virginia Peninsula -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek. This battle was the first major one on Union territory and is known as the single bloodiest day in American history. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a war tactic used by Abraham Lincoln, which freed all African Americans whom were in bondage in the of the Confederate states that had seceded from the United States. This allowed those freed blacks to join the Union army, and win the Civil War. -
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End of Reconstitution Era
After President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, President Ulysses S. Grant stepped up and took his place for ending the reconstruction era after the American Civil War. His participation included implementing the force acts and suppressing the Ku Klux Klan. -
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The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a battle fought by the Union and Confederate armies in Gettysburg, PA. This battle had the most deaths of any battle in the Civil War and is often known as the turning point of the war. -
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New York Draft Riots
The New York Draft Riots were riots in response to a forced draft of men in New York into the America Civil War. This was conducted by working class men, primarily Irish, who did not think that it was fair that they and their children were forced to go off to war, but the rich society members could pay a fee of $300 and escape going to war. The people who were angry at the government for this decided to anger them by murdering blacks who lived in New York (about 112). -
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a speech given by President Abraham Lincoln to citizens listening at the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He discusses human equality within his speech and tells that the Union is trying to preserve equality for all races. -
Ten Percent Plan
After the American Civil War, the North and the South were separated and still had some conflicts even after the Union victory. President Abraham Lincoln proposed the Ten Percent Plan, which allowed Southern states to reinstate into the United States if ten percent of the voters pledged allegiance to the federal government. Eventually, all of the states that had seceded came back. -
The Battle of Fort Pillow
The Battle of Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow Massacre, was a battle fought between Maj. William F. Bradford of the Confederates and Maj. Lionel F. Booth at Fort Pillow, which was about 40 miles north of Memphis. Booth ordered an assault on the fort, but lost and many died, even after an attempted surrender. -
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The Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought near Mechanicsville, Virginia and is known as one of the most lopsided battles in American history. Union leader Ulysses S. Grant lost horribly by issuing a frontal assault on the Confederate army, which had fortified themselves beforehand. This battle killed many Union soldiers and gave the Confederates a huge victory. -
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Siege of Petersburg
The Siege of Petersburg, although not an actual military siege, was a series of attacks by the Union army in Petersburg, Virginia. This battle mainly consisted of trench warfare, which was heavily used by both sides. The battle resulted in a Union victory. -
Wade-Davis Bill
The Wade-Davis Bill was a bill proposed by two Radical Republicans: Henry Winter Davis and Benjamin Wade. It took a harsher turn on Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan and said that those states that were trying to rejoin the Union again must have a majority that swears allegiance to the United States and that they must swear that they never supported the Confederacy. However, the bill was pocket vetoed by Lincoln and was never passed. -
The Battle of Franklin
The Battle of Franklin was fought between Federal Commander John M. Echo field and Confederate leader John Bell Hood in Franklin, TN. It it regarded as one of the largest losses of the Confederate during the American Civil War from the large number of casualties from conducting several frontal assaults in a row on a well-defended group. -
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The Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two day battle between the Confederate Tennessee and the government's Union army in Nashville, TN. This battle raged for two days and is known as one of the largest victories achieved by the Union. -
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Black Codes
Black Codes were laws passed by ex-Confederate states that were used to systematically discriminate against freed African Americans in order to uphold white supremacy. One main part of the black codes was known as the vagrancy law, which allowed local authorities to arrest freedmen and subject them to forced labor. -
Freedman's Bureau
The Freedman's Bureau was a government agency created by President Abraham Lincoln that aided recently freed African Americans. These types of aiding included teaching African Americans how to read and write, find lost family members, and be lawyers in court cases. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater; he was the first president to be assassinated. -
Thirteenth Amendment
The thirteenth amendment changed the Constitution by abolishing all forms of slavery. -
KKK Founded
The KKK (Ku Klux Klan) was a violent organization that was formed by Confederate veterans after the time of the Civil War and included white southerners who still did not enjoy the idea of black equality. Hiding their identities with white clothing, the KKK murdered countless blacks and tried to show white supremacy. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act allowed for all people born in the United States to be citizens regardless of skin color, race, or previous condition, and could not be denied their rights. -
First Reconstruction Act
The First Reconstruction Act was a law passed after the Civil War and issued by Abraham Lincoln. This act forced all of the ex-Confederate states (except Tennessee) to be placed under military control, adopt the fourteenth amendment, rewrite their state constitutions, and treat all citizens equally. -
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was impeached because he replaced secretory of war, Edwin M. Stanton with Lorenzo Thomas, which went directly against Tenure Act of Office. This stated that no person of specific positions in government could be replaced by the president without senates permission. -
Fourteenth Amendment
The fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution allowed for citizens to have equal protection under the law. -
Fifteenth Amendment
The fifteenth amendment of the US Constitution prohibited state and federal government from denying a person of voting based on their skin color or race. -
Hayes-Tilden Compromise
The Hayes-Tilden Compromise, also known as the Compromise of 1877, was a compromise that entailed that: all federal troops would be removed from former Confederate states, one southern democrat would be appointed to Hayes's cabinet, another railroad would be constructed, and the government would help the south after their financial losses.