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South Carolina was the first state to secede. Soon after, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed. Following, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina seceded. Eventually, these 11 states formed the Confederate States of America.
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The new president said he wasn't planning to end slavery in the states where it already existed, but he also said he would not accept secession. He hoped to resolve the issue without creating a war.
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President Lincoln was trying to send supplies to Fort Sumter. South Carolina thought he was tricking them so the commander of the fort, Robert Anderson, wouldn't surrender when he was asked to. Because of this, Fort Sumter was shot out, starting the Civil War.
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Winfield Scott attacked the Confederates in the South, but with unproperly trained troops. They were succesful until the Confederate reinforcements came in, which resulted in the Union troops retreating towards Washington and a Southern victory.
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Confederate forces attacked Union forces in Shiloh, Tennessee. Once their reinforcements arrived, the Union was winning. The Confederates retreated and the Union was too exhausted to follow. 13,000 out of 63,000 Union soldiers died and 11,000 out of 40,000 Confederate soldiers died.
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The Confederate army attacked the Union army at seven pines and almost defeated them. The Union was saved by last minute reinforcements.
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Major-General Henry Halleck was named general-in-chief of the Union army.
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General Grant attacked the Confederate army at Cold Harbor. In the process, he lost over 7,000 soldiers in 20 minutes. The Confederate army suffered fewer casualties, but never fully recovered from Grant's consecutive attacks.
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A victory in Atlanta elevated Lincoln's popularity and helped him win re-election by a landslide.
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The Confederate army surrendered when it was obvious that they were going to lose the battle at the Appomattox court house. The signing of the surrender documents took place in the house owned by Wilmer McLean on April 9. On April 12, a formal ceremony was held, marking the disbandment of the Army of Northern Virginia, ending the war.
