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South Carolina Secedes
After Lincoln was elected president, a convention was held in Charleston, South Carolina to dicuss secession. Here, it was decided that South Carolina would secede from the Union, which it did. -
The Confederacy is Formed
After South Carolina had seceded, many other deep south states decided to follow in their footsteps. By February 1, 1861, 7 states had seceded from the Union. They included South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. -
Lincoln becomes President
Lincoln was elected president in 1860. His election was the spark that caused the first southern states to secede because they were upset that a "sectional" Republican party was now controlling government. -
The Battle at Fort Sumter
Once the Confederate States had seceded, there was tension over the control of military forts. Lincoln initially didn't want to get involved in the issue, because he knew it would casue conflict, but he eventually decided to send supplies to Fort Sumter to help soldiers there. The South took this as a hostile action and began attacking the Union ships. By April 13th, the Union troops had surrendered, and the Confederate flag flew over Fort Sumter. -
Lincoln Declares Martial Law
Lincoln declared martial law on April 27th, 1861. This enabled the miliatry to arrest civilians suspected of aiding the enemy. This was significant because it showed that the constitutionality of presidential actions could be suspended during times of war. -
The Battle of Bull Run
General Winfield Scott ordered his poorly trained Union troops to advance on Confederate troops near the Manassas Juntion in Virginia. They actually seemed on their way to victory until reinforcement Confederate troops lead by Stonewall Jackson came to the Confederatre's aid. The Union then faced a humiliating defeat. -
The Confederacy seeks Foreign Aid
During 1861 and 1862, the Confederate tried to gain the support of England and France. They felt that it would be easy to do since a large portion of these countries economies were dependent on the south's cotton. But, England would only give the south belligerent rights, and refused to aid the South until they won a decisive victory. But, this victory never came, so England never helped them. -
Grant takes Fort Henry
General Grant captured For tHenry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River. This was a victory for the Union -
The North has Success on Water
As a part of their Anaconca Plan, the North desired to close in on the coasts of the Confederacy. They did this on March 9th, 1862 when the turrented Union gunship, the Moitor, repulsed the ironclad Confederate ship, the Virginia on the eastern coast of the Confederacy. -
The Battle of Antietam
This was the bloodiest one day battle of the war, with nearly 5,000 men dead and more than 18,000 wounded. It occured in Sharpsburg, Maryland between McClellan's Union troops and Lee's Confederate troops. The result was a draw. But, McClellan was fired after the battle for not taking advantage of the slowly retreating Confederate troops. -
Emancipation Prolclamation
After a long time coming, Lincoln finally approved the emancipation proclamation, which was a smart move because otherwise, it would have divided his party. At first, his actions didn't even free a single slaves, but on January 1, 1863, he declared all slaves forever free, which caused many slaves to run away from their plantations and seek safety with Union troops stationed in Confederate lands. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
This battle took place in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was Ambrose E. Burnside's (a Union troops leader) attempt at attcking the Confederates. But, they were attacking from the bottom of a hill so his forces had the disadvantage and suffered more than twice as many casualites than the South. -
The Enrollment Act of 1863
This act allowed wealthy men to buy their way out of the draft. It casued a series of draft riots, particularly by immigrants in New York. -
The New York Riots
A mob in NY composedmostly of Irish-American laborers, burned the homes of leading Republicans in NY and lynched more thana dozen defenseless blacks. Atleast 120 people died in this incident before troops intervened. They were opposing the draft and being forced to fight in a war that they did not support. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
This was the Confederates one chance at invading the North and advancing on thier territory. It was sort of like their Saratoga, when relating to the Revolutionary war. Lee's army crossed the Potomac firver in June and kept going until the reached Gettysburg, PA. Here, Lee confronted Union armies who had taken positions on Cemetary Ridge and Culp's Hill. This was a ghastly defeat for the South. The Union's strategical placement had allowed them to win the battle. -
The Seige of Vicksburg
General Grant had been plotting to attack Vicksburg for a long time. In March of 1863, he lead troops into the area, and after winning a few battles, they settles down for seige on May 22nd. Finally, on July 4th, they gained control of the city, and therefore, the entire Mississippi River. -
Shermam's March Through the South
General Sherman marched his troops throught the South, particularly Georgia, and they destroyed almost evething in their path. He eventually ended up in the Carolinas. His actions still cause a lot of resentment in the South even today. -
Congress Passes the 13th Amendment
The passing of the 13th Amendment ended all slavery in the United States. It was one of 3 Civil War amendments. -
Lee Surrenders at the Appomattox Courthouse
After Sherman's rampage through the South, Lee and his troops surrendered to the Union army, realizing that their situation was now hopeless of further resistance. The Union controlled too much of the South. -
Lincoln's Assassination
At Ford's Theater in Washinton DC, John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head and killed him.
