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Southern Secession
seccesionMany Southerners were outraged by the election of Abraham Lincoln; They felt that there voices were being ignored in the North. Elleven states eventually left the union and formed the Confederacy. South Carolina was the first to leave, on the twentieth of December, 1860. They were joined by six more states by February, and the last four joined after the battle of Fort Sumter -
Jefferson Davis
LincolnJefferson Davis was President of the Confederacy for the duration of the Civil war. He was a Mississippi senator, and educated at West Point. -
Abraham Lincoln
linkAbraham Licoln was the 16th President of the United States. He believed that Seccesion was illegal, so he led the Union through the Civil War to victory. Lincoln was from a humble Kentucky Family, and practied law. He was assasinated by John Wilkes Booth. He died April 15, 1865 -
General Lee
leeGeneral Robert E. Lee was educated at West Point. When approached by LIncoln who was offering him a high spot in the Union army, Lee declined, saying that he could not fight his own people. Lee was named General-in Chief of all Confederate forces in 1865, but he was forced to surrender only a few months later. -
Ulysses S. Grant
GrantGrant was the 18th President ofthe United States. Like the rest of the famous generals, Grant attended West Point. Grant evebtually led all of the Union's forces, and accepted Lee's resignation. He participated in Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and many other battles. -
Blockades
blockadesAbraham Lincoln issued a blockade of the 3,500 mile Atlantic coast line in an attempt to stop the South from importing Supplies. Small boats called blockade runners were able to sneak through the blockades with a high degree of success, but they could carry only small cargoes. The Blockade had a devastating effect on the South, many people nearly starving from lack of supplies. -
General Stonewall Jackson
JackStonewall Jackson was one of the Confederatesmost famous Generals. He was also educated at Wes Point. He was involved in the Battle of Bull Run, and the valley campaign. -
Copperheads
CopperThe Copperheads were Northern Democrats who opposed the war. They were popular in the mid-west, and in strong ethnic communities. They were called Copperheads because of a comparison to a venomnous snake -
Slaughter at Shiloh
ShilohGeneral Grant's army was encamped near Shiloh, Tennesee, waiting for reinforcements before advancing South into Mississippi. The Confederate general Johnston decided to attack Grant before his troops came, in an attempt to overwhelm them. the Confederates had a huge advantage, untill fresh Union troops arrived, and pushed the Confederates back South. The battle ended on April 7th, both sides with major loses. -
Union Conquers New Orleans
New Orleans was captured by a Union Fleet without resistance. The City was indefensible, so the Confederates retreated. Control of New Orleans proved to be very beneficial to the Union, who could now split the South by attacking up the Mississippi river -
Battle Antietam
AntietamThe battle of Antietam saw the blodiest single day battle of the war, and all of American History, with nearly 23,000 dead. The battle took place in Maryland, and resulted in General Lee's troops retreating to Virginia. The battle gave Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Proclothe 3.1 million living in the 10 rebelling states were announced free by Abraham Lincoln's Executive order. This did not apply to the slaves living in states still in the Union, nor did it ban slavery across The United States. Lincoln encouraged the ex-slaves to join the Union Army -
Seige of Vicksburg
VickyUlysses S. Grant's troops gathered laid seige to Vicksburg, Mississippi, trapping pemberton's Confederate army. The seige lasted to July 4, which saw Pemberton's surrender. This crushing Confederate defeat ave the Union sole control of the Mississippi, and increased Grant's reputation -
54th Regiment Mass. Volunteer infantry
54ththe 54th was one of the first black regiments formed in the United States. They saw intensive fighting through the South, especially in South Carolina. The officers were white, as the thought of Black officers was too controversial. -
battle of Gettysburg
GettyThe Union victory at Gettysburg, pennsylvania was a turning point in the war. The war's bloodiest battle, with 51,000 casulaties, marked the end of Lee's second northern invasion. The battle lasted three days, and inspired Lincoln's legendary Gettysburg address. -
Gettysburg Address
addressLincoln payed tribute to the fallen union soldiers in a short two minute speech, calling for a new birth of freedom. The speech was hugely influential, quoted even today. -
Battle of Chattanooga
ChattCumberlund's Union army retreated to Fort Chattanooga after their defeat at Chickamauga. They became trapped by Bragg's Confederate's. After attacking Brown's landing, the Union was able to establish a supply line in Chattanooga called the Cracker line. Grant's armies took theoffensive, and th Confederates were defeated on november 25. the victory allowed the Union to attack the deep South. -
Andersonville POW camp
prisonCamp Sumter at Andersonville became one of the largest of the Confederate's Prisoner of War camps. Over 45,000 Union soldiers were held here, and around 13,000 died in captivity. -
Burning of Atlanta
AtlantaAlthough small in population, Atlanta was an important railroad and commercial hub for the Confederates. After general Sherman defeated Hood's Confederates stationed there, he order it to be burnt, so it could not be retaken -
Sherman's march
ShermThe March left from captured Atlanta, and ended with the Capture of Savannah on the 21st of December. Along the way, military targets were destroyed, industry and the economy disrupted, and infastructure sabatoged. The idea was to make the South unable to fight by destroying their supply stock.
