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Fort Sumter
The Union sent a supply ship to Fort Sumter, which was still with the Union, and the Confederates attacked. The fort eventually surrendered to the South. These were the first shots fired in the war. -
Anaconda Plan
This was a plan conceived by the Union to strangle the South by blockading their forts and controlling the Mississippi. It would allow for fewer casualties than taking back the South by force. It was developed after the attack on Fort Sumter. -
The Seven Days Battles
This was a series of battles in the Peninsula Campaign. The Confederates drove the Union Army away from Richmond down the Virginia Peninsula, and ended the Peninsula Campaign. It brought down Northern morale and was the start of a series of victories for Lee. -
First Manassas / Bull Run
First major battle of the Civil War in Manassas, Virginia. It was a Confederate victory, and was the battle that made everyone realize that it was a real war, and the romanticized view of it disappeared. -
Monitor vs. Virginia
One of the most famous naval battles. The Confederates created the first ironclad ship, and the North soon built their own. The Union strategically won a naval battle, showing that they had the superior navy. -
Shiloh
It was fought in Tennessee, and the two-day total casualties were more than all previous American wars combined. The Confederates attempted to retake Middle Tennessee, but the Union turned them back. It brought the Union Army closer to controlling the Mississippi River. The North was beginning to turn the war around. -
Antietam
Bloodiest single day of the war. Robert E. Lee's first northern invasion was turned back. It was technically a draw, but Lincoln announced his Emancipation Proclamation afterward. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Declared that all slaves in the Confederacy were free. It didn't actually free any slaves, but it made it clear what the North was fighting for, and took away any potential support that other countries or the slaves would have had for the Confederacy. -
Fredericksburg
Took place in Fredericksburg, VA, and had the most troops out of every battle of the Civil War. It was a strong victory for the Confederate Army due to poor coordination of the part of the Union. General Hooker replaced Burnside in the Northern Army after this. -
Chancellorsville
In Chancellorsvill, VA, this was Robert E. Lee's greatest victory in the entire war. He turned back the Union Army, though it was costly. -
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Vicksburg
Grant's army met at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and trapped a Confederate Army. The army in Vicksburg eventually surrendered. This loss ultimately split the Confederacy in half. -
Gettysburg
Largest battle fought on the American continent. It was the turning point of the Civil War for the North, and marked the end of Lee's second invasion of the North. -
Gettysburg Address
Speech given by Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg. It gave a statement of national purpose. He talked about human equality and described the Civil War as a struggle to preserve the Union. -
Chattanooga
A Union victory in Tennessee. It forced the Confederates back into Georgia, allowing for campaigns such as the capture of Atlanta and Sherman's march to Georgia. -
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Wilderness Campaign
A series of engagements between Lee and Grant. -
Atlanta
Union Victory in Georgia. Confederate troops set the city on fire before retreating. This is credited as the turning point that allowed Lincoln to be reelected. It crushed Southern morale along with the entire city of Atlanta. -
Appomattox
Last battle fought by Lee's Northern Virginia army. Lee met with Grant to surrender his army, which crippled the South. The war ended soon after this Confederate defeat.