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South Carolina votes to secede from the United States
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the federal Union. The victory of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election triggered cries for separation across the slave holding South. -
Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address
Lincoln promised that he wouldn't mess with states that already have slaves. He also pledged to suspend the activities of the federal government temporarily in areas of hostility. -
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
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Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
Lincoln suspended the writ of Haber corpus between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to give military authorities the necessary power to silence dissenters and rebels. -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
in the Confederate Capital City of Montgomery, Alabama, the decision was made to name the City of Richmond, Virginia as the new Capital of the Confederacy. The Confederate capital was moved to Richmond in recognition of Virginia's strategic importance. -
First Battle of Bull Run is fought
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Jefferson Davis elected President of the Confederacy
Jefferson ran for president without opposition. The election then confirmed the decision that had been made by the Confederate Congress earlier in the year. -
The Merrimac and the Monitor fight of the Virginia coast
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Battle of Shiloh
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Battle of Antietam
Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen -
Battle of Fredericksburg
in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation is announced
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation the proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Battle of Chancellorsville
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Battle of Gettysburg
in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. -
Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
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New York City Draft Riots
The draft started July 11-16 1863. the draft accorded because the government attempted to enforce the draft in New York City and it ignited the most destructive civil disturbance in the city's history. -
Abraham Lincoln defeats George McClellan to win re-election
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Atlanta is captured
During the Civil War, the fall of Atlanta proved to be a blow from which the Confederacy never recovered. -
Sherman begins his March to the Sea
started in November and ended December 21st 1864, 60,000 were led on a 285 mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this march was to frighten Georgia. -
Congress passes the 13th Amendment
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Freedmen's Bureau is created
An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees” to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners, including newly freed African Americans. -
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
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Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
delivered his second inaugural address on Saturday, March 4, 1865, during his second inauguration as President of the United States -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
The Rebel capital of Richmond, Virginia, falls to the Union, the most significant sign that the Confederacy is nearing its final days. For almost a year General Ulysses S. Grant had tried but failed to infiltrate the city. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 Confederate troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. -
President Lincoln assassinated
President Lincoln was assassinated by a well known actor known by the name John Wilkes Booth. This event slowed down the process of reconstruction after the Civil War. -
John Wilkes Booth is killed
After being shot, either by a soldier or by himself, Booth was carried to the porch of the farmhouse, where he subsequently died. -
Robert E. Lee is named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
the most successful of the Southern armies during the American Civil War, and ultimately commanded all the Confederate armies.