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A Speech of Lincolns
In a speech at the Cooper Union Institute in New York, Abraham Lincoln attacks slavery and insists that the Federal government has "the power of restraining the extension of the institution." -
The Pony Express
The Pony Express begins. Overland mail between Sacramento, California and St. Joseph's, Missouri is carried over the Oregon Trail for eighteen months by this series of riders on horseback. -
Wait And See Approch
Southern delegates hold a National Democratic convention in Richmond. Party leaders urge a "wait and see" approach. -
Is Secession An Option?
Governor William Henry Gist notifies other Deep South states that South Carolina is considering secession as an option. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln is elected sixteenth president of the United States.
He is the first Republican president, and opposes the spread of slavery in the United States. -
A Nation Divided Even In An Elecion
Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, running on an anti-slavery platform, defeats three opponents in the campaign for the presidency; Democrats Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell. Although Lincoln won the Electoral College by a large majority, 180 to 123 for all other candidates, the popular vote showed just how split the nation was. Lincoln garnered 1.9 million votes to the 2.8 million spread amongst his opponents. -
Southerners Leaving The Senate
James Chesnut becomes the first Southerner to resign from the Senate. He is quickly followed by James H. Hammond -
War Preporations
Major Robert Anderson reports Fort Sumter is being threatened in Charleston as federal forces begin to improved Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter in the harbor. -
The Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was an unsuccessful proposal introduced by United States Senator John J. Crittenden. It aimed to resolve the secession crisis of 1860–1861 by addressing the fears and grievances about slavery that led many slave-holding states to contemplate secession from the United States. -
The Start of A Splitting Country
South Carolina secedes from the Union. It is the first state to do so. -
Seceding From The United States
Six additional southern states secede from the Union. The second state to secede was Mississippi. -
Secession From The United States
The third state to secede from the United States was Florida. -
Alabama Seceded
Alabama is the fourth state to secede from the United States of America on January 11, 1861. -
More States Secede
The fifth state to secede for the United States of America was Georgia. -
Another State Seceded
Louisiana is the sixth state to seceded for the United States of America. -
Texas Secedes
The next state to secede from the United States of America is Texas. This make it the seventh state to secede. -
The Forming of The Confederate States of America
Delegates from the secessionist states met in
Montgomery, Alabama to form the Confederate States of America. -
A Confederate President
Jefferson Davis is appointed the first President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama, a position he will hold until elections can be arranged. -
Another Secession
The eighth state to secede for the United States of America is Virginia. -
The Secession of Arkansas
Arkansas is the ninth state to secede from the United States of America. -
Secession of Another Carolina
North Carolina is the tenth state to secede for the United States of America. -
Last One To Leave
Tennessee is the eleventh and final state to secede from the United States of America. -
The Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run, is fought near Manassas, Virginia. The Union Army under General Irwin McDowell initially succeeds in driving back Confederate forces under General Pierre Gustav Toutant Beauregard, but the arrival of troops under General Joseph E. Johnston initates a series of reverses that sends McDowell's army in a panicked retreat to the defenses of Washington. It is here that Thomas Jonathan Jackson, a professor at VMI, will receive everlasting fame as "Stonewall" Jackson. -
The Fall of Lexington
Lexington, Missouri falls to Confederate forces under Sterling Price. -
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, Virginia
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, Virginia. Colonel Edward D. Baker, senator from Oregon and a friend of President Lincoln, led troops across the Potomac River only to be forced back to the river's edge where he was killed. The ensuing Union withdrawal turned into a rout with many soldiers drowning while trying to re-cross the icy waters of the Potomac River. -
Fort Henry, Tennessee
The confederates surrender Fort Henry, Tennessee. The lost of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Union control of the river. -
The Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina
The Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. A Confederate defeat, the battle resulted in Union occupation of eastern North Carolina and control of Pamlico Sound, to be used as Northern base for further operations against the southern coast. -
An Official Confederate President
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing), the first major battle in Tennessee. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, a veteran of the Texas War of Independence and the War with Mexico considered to be one of the finest officers the South has, is killed on the first day of fighting. The Union victory further secures the career of Union General Ulysses S. Grant. -
Control of The Mississippi
A Union fleet of gunships under Admiral David Farragut passes Confederate forts guarding the mouth of the Mississippi River. On April 25, the fleet arrived at New Orleans where they demanded the surrender of the city. Within two days the forts fall into Union hands and the mouth of the great river is under Union control. -
The First Battle of Winchester, Virginia
First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. After two weeks of maneuvering and battles at Cross Keys and Front Royal, General "Stonewall" Jackson attacks Union forces at Winchester and successfully drives them from the city. The victory is the culmination of his 1862 Valley Campaign. -
The Battle of Memphis, Tennessee
Battle of Memphis, Tennessee. A Union flotilla under Commodore Charles Davis successfully defeats a Confederate river force on the Mississippi River near the city and Memphis surrenders. The Mississippi River is now in Union control except for its course west of Mississippi where the city of Vicksburg stands as the last southern stronghold on the great river. -
The Second Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Second Bull Run is fought on the same ground where one year before, the Union army was defeated and sent reeling in retreat to Washington. Likewise, the result of this battle is a Union defeat. -
The Battle of Antietam, Maryland
The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), Maryland, the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. The result of the battle ends General Lee's first invasion of the North. Following the Union victory, President Lincoln will introduce the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that freed every slave in the Confederate States. -
The Battle of Stones River, Tennessee
The Battle of Stones River, Tennessee. Fought between the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg, the costly Union victory frees middle Tennessee from Confederate control and boosts northern morale. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. Applauded by many abolitionists including Frederick Douglass, there are others who feel it does not go far enough to totally abolish slavery. -
Men For War
Conscription, or the drafting of soldiers into military service, begins in the North. It had begun in the South the year before. -
The Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia
The Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia. Union cavalry forces cross the Rapidan River to attack General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry and discover that Lee's men are moving west toward the Shenandoah Valley. The largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, it also marks the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. Meanwhile, the Union assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi has become a siege of the city where soldiers and civilians alike suffer from constant bombardment. -
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania lasted from July 1-3, 1863. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War dashes Robert E. Lee's hopes for a successful invasion of the North. -
Complete Control of The Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrenders to the Union Army under Grant. The capture of Vicksburg gives the Union complete control of the Mississippi River, a vital supply line for the Confederate states in the west. At Gettysburg, Lee begins his retreat to Virginia. -
Union Draft Riots
Draft Riots begin in New York City and elsewhere as disgruntled workers and laborers, seething over the draft system that seemingly favors the rich, attack the draft office and African American churches. The riots continue through July 16 -
Gettysburg Campaign Ends
Near Falling Waters, Maryland, Union troops skirmish with Lee's rearguard. That night the Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Potomac River and the Gettysburg Campaign ends. -
Second Assault on Battery Wagner, South Carolina
The Second Assault on Battery Wagner, South Carolina took place and leading the Union infantry charge is the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who is killed and buried with the dead of his regiment. -
The Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee
The Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee took place for November 27 to December 3, 1863. Confederate troops under General James Longstreet lay siege to the city of Knoxville held by Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside. Longstreet finally attacks on November 30 but is repulsed with heavy losses. The arrival of Union reinforcements forces him to withdraw to Greeneville, Tennessee, where his corps will spend the winter. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Abraham Lincoln issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the Union. -
Escape from Libby Prison, Richmond
After weeks of digging, 109 Union officers made their escape from the notorious Libby Prison, the largest and most sensational escape of the war. Though 48 of the escapees were later captured and two drowned, 59 were able to make their way into Union lines. -
First Attack From Below
First Successful Submarine Attack of the Civil War. The CSS H.L. Hunley, a seven-man submergible craft, attacked the USS Houstonic outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Struck by the submarine's torpedo, the Housatonic broke apart and sank, taking all but five of her crew with her. Likewise, the Hunley was also lost and never heard from again until discovered in 1995 at the spot where it sank after the attack. -
Andersonville Prison Camp
In Georgia, Camp Sumter Prison Camp opens. Universally referred to as Andersonville Prison Camp, it will become notorious for overcrowded conditions and a high death rate among its inmates. -
A New Union Lieutenant General
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed lieutenant general, a rank revived at the request of President Lincoln. Grant assumes command of all Union Armies in the field the following day. -
The Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign begins. As part of an overall Union strategy to strike deep into various parts of the Confederacy, a combined force of army and navy commands under General Nathaniel Banks begins a campaign on the Red River in Louisiana. -
Delay of The Unions Advance
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia lasted from May 8-21, 1864. Lee successfully stalls Grant's drive toward Richmond. -
The Battle of Fisher's Hill, Virginia
The Union Army of the Shenandoah under General Philip Sheridan attacked Jubal Early's Confederates near Fisher's Hill, overpowering the southerners and again forcing them to flee the battlefield. Union officers and officials in Washington believe this to be the final battle in the Shenandoah Valley. -
The Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia.
In an early morning surprise attack, Jubal Early's Confederates successfully attack and drive troops of the Army of the Shenandoah from their camps on the banks of Cedar Creek, Virginia. Hearing the fight from his headquarters at Winchester, General Philip Sheridan rides southward, rallying dispirited troops to return to the battlefield.
Despite several attempts to disrupt the Union advance in the coming weeks, the battle for control of the Shenandoah Valley is over. -
Lincolns Reelection
Abraham Lincoln is reelected president of the United States for his second term. -
The Battle of Fort Harrison
The Battle of Fort Harrison near Richmond, Virginia took place from September 29-30 1864. In a sweeping assault, the Confederate stronghold known as Fort Harrison falls to the Army of the James. The Confederate efforts to retake the fort fail. -
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange opened a permanent headquarters for the first time near Wall Street. -
Inaugurated Again!
President Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term as president in Washington, DC. -
New Vice President
Lincoln outlines his second term talking directly to the Confederate people "...with malice toward none; with charity for all..." and Andrew Johnson replaces Henry Hamlin as Vice-president after he gives a rambling speech while drunk. -
Petersburg and Richmond
The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond; General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces under General Johnston in North Carolina. -
The Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender, Appomattox Court House, Virginia
After an early morning attempt to break through Union forces blocking the route west to Danville, Virginia, Lee seeks an audience with General Grant to discuss terms. That afternoon in the parlor of Wilmer McLean, Lee signs the document of surrender. -
Confederates Surrender
The Army of Northern Virginia, Confederates, formally surrenders and is disbanded at the Appomattox Court House -
Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. -
More Surrendering From The Confederates
General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and the troops he commands at Bennett's Place. -
The Thirteenth Amendment
On January 31, 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, was passed by congress, but was not ratified until later that year on December 6, 1865. -
The KKK
The Ku Klux Klan was formed by a group of COnfederate veterans who wished to ensure Africal Americans did not gain civil and legal rights. -
The New York City Metropolitan Board of Health
The New York City Metropolitan Board of Health was established by the New York Legislature. -
African American Rights
The United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
This is the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. -
An Act To Help Soldiers
Congress passes an act which created government homes for disabled volunteer soldiers to live in. -
First Attempt To Pass The Fourteenth Amendment
President Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Bills, which will later become the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Overridden Veto
President Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March 27, 1866 and Congress overrides the veto on April 9 1866. -
The Start of The Fourteenth Amendment
Even with President Andrew Johnson's veto on the Civil Rights Bill it is still passed. This bill gave former slaves all citizen rights intended in by the Thirteenth Amendment. -
Confederate President Release
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is released from prison after serving two years as punishment for his role during the Civil War -
Rejoining America After The War
Tennessee is the first state readmitted to the United States of America after the Civil War. -
Official End of The Civil War
President Andrew Johnson officially declares the Civil War over even though the fighting had stopped months before this. -
Fredrick Douglas Making History
Fredrick Douglas became the first black delegate at a national convention. -
Ignoring A Veto
Despite President Andrew Johnson vetoing it, legislation granted Washington, D.C. blacks suffrage. -
A Different Way To Travel
The first railroad across across Iowa was finished in Council Bluffs. This railroad stretched from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. -
A New State
Nebraska becomes the thirty seventh state in the United States of America. -
Mending A Broken Country
The first Reconstruction Act was passed by Congress. This act laid out a plan to readmit Southern states to the Union. -
More Mendng
Again Congress override President Andrew Johnson's veto and passed the second Reconstruction Act. This act went more into depth as to what was expected of Southern states as they rejoined the Union. -
To Honor Abraham Lincoln
Congress approved the Lincoln Memorial which would contain an enormous statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. -
The United States Gains Territory
Secretary of State William H. Seward signed an agreement that purchased the territory of Alaska for two cents an acre with Russia's Baron Edouard de Stoeckl. This deal was referred to as "Seward's Folly," "Seward's icebox," and President Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden." -
Black Suffrage Representation
Black people voted in the municipal election in Tuscumbia, Alabama. -
Railroad In New York City
The first elevated railroad for the United States began its service in New York City. -
Railroad Reached Wyoming
The Union Pacific rails reached Cheyenne Wyoming even though the rail crews faced challenging work in the Rocky Mountians.
