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First Battle of Bull Run
A Confederate reinforcement wave brought the end to this early battle in the American Civil War. The reinforcements under the command of then unknown Thomas J. Jackson willingness to stand and fight resulted in Jackson recieving the nickname of "Stonewall". This battle sobered many soldiers to the bloodiness of war. -
Trent Affair
The Trent Affair was a diplomatic dispute between the Union, Confederates, and Britain. Two Confederate diplomats heading to gain recognition of Great Britain were captured by Union Captain Charles Wilkes. However, Lincoln disavowed Wilkes' actions and returned the two diplomats, who failed in their mission. -
The Battle of Island Number 10
This battle was over a small island on the Mississippi River, an island that could, if used correctly, defend any attack or movement of ships. However, it required the use of a single road for reinforcements, and the Union took andvantage of this, cutting off the Confederates and forcing a surrender. This marked the first time the Confederate army lost a battle on the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Shiloh
A major battle fought in Hardin County, Tennessee, the first day of this battle was a suprise attack by the Confederate forces. While the first day went well for the Confederates, they were wholly beaten back on the second, and were forced to retreat from the then most bloodiest battle in American history, and allowed the Union advance into northern Mississippi. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
After a series of miscommunications on the side of the Union, Major General John Pope believed he had cornered "Stonewall" Jackson. Concentrating his army on Jackson, he neglected to take note of enemy artillery, which then thoroughly wrecked his supplies. Soon followed the largest mass assault of the war on Pope, which lead to another crushing Union defeat at Bull Run. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the first major battle of the Civil War, and with 22,717 either dead, wounded, or missing at the end of the day, it remains the single bloodiest day in American history. However, it was enough of a victory for the North to warrant enough confidence in President Lincoln to announc e the Emancipation Proclaimation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order and war order of President Lincoln. It proclaimed that all slaves in the remaining ten states of the Confederacy were free. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Fought in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this battle holds the grim record of most casualties throughout the entirety of the war. The defeat of Confederate General Lee at the hands of Union Major General Meade ended Lee's invasion of the North. -
New York Draft Riots
The riots were a series of violent disturbances in New York following the draft for the Civil War. Poor families, primarily Irish, were frustrated towards the rich who could pay for a substitute to be drafted instead of themselves. -
Gettysburg Address
Considered to be one of the best speeches in American history, the Address delivered by President Lincoln discussed the issues of human equality and freedom in a little over two minutes. He stressed that need to keep the Union alive, as it was the only true democracy. -
Ten Percent Plan
President hoped to bring an end to he war, so he proposed the Ten Percent Plan, which allowed a Confederate state to re-enter the Union with a 10% vote of allegiance. The Radical Republicans, while holding a small minority in Congress, managed to sway several moderates, and later passed the Wade-Davis Bill to counter the Ten Percent Plan. -
Battle of Fort Pillow
While the name suggests otherwise, the Battle of Fort Pillow is considered one of the saddest, bleakest moments in American history. After a Confederate victory in taking the fort, the soldiers of the Confederate army massacred black Union soldiers, many of whom were surrendering. -
Battle of Coldharbour
The Battle of Coldharbour is considered one of the most lopsided battles in the Civil War. Despite even numbers on both sides, an ill-advised charge from the side of the Union resulted in huge casulties for them, and little to no advantage was gained. This was the last of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's final victories, -
Wade-Davis Bill
The bill was brought about by two Republicans, and made re-admittance into the Union neccessary of the Ironclad Oath to the effect that they never supported the Confederacy. Lincoln vetoed. -
The Battle of Atlanta
Making good on their promise to burn the South, the forces under Union officer William T. Sherman overwhelmed Confederate forces defending the town of Atlanta. As a major hub of railways and a natural economy center for the South, Atlanta's capture severely crippled the South's ability to fight. -
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was the end of large scale fighting in the Western Theatre of the American Civil War. One of the largest Union victories of the war, the Confederate forces under Lt. General John Bell Hood were crushed so effectively to the point that they could no longer fight. -
Freedmen's Bureau Founded
Brought about by President Lincoln, the Bureau was meant to aid distressed freedmen after the end of the Civil War. -
The Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
While attending a play at Ford's Theatre, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by actor and Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth. This made Lincoln a martyr, and the support Booth thought he would find in the South was little to non-existant. -
Passing of Black Codes
The Black Codes were an attempt to keep African-Americans in a restrictive form of freedom. The defining feature of the Black Codes was vagrancy law which allowed local authorities to arrest the freedpeople and commit them to involuntary labor. -
KKK Founded
The Ku Klux Klan was first founded in Pulaski, Tennessee by six Confederate veterans of the Civil War. As a group of vigilantes, the group targeted freedmen and their friends; they sought to restore white supremacy. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This act states that all people born in the United States of America is a legal US citizen. It was passed in Congress once, but vetoed by President Johnson. It was passed a second time, vetoed a second time, but recieved the two thirds neccessary to become a real act. -
1st Reconstruction Act
The act split the South into five military districts, each commanded by a Northern general. The act applied to all the ex-Confederate states in the South, except Tennessee who had already ratified the Fourteenth Amendment -
Impeachment of Johnson
Johnson was impeached for removing Edwin M. Stanton from office. He did so ignoring a piece of legislation that he considered unconstitutional. Despite Johnson's unpopularity, the public opposed the impeachment. -
End of Reconstruction
The Republicans gave up their quest of racial equality in the South. The last federal troops were drawn out of the South, and the governments put into place by the Republicans fell apart. -
The Reconstruction Amendments
The Amendments passed during the Reconstruction Era significantly improved the rights of African-Americans. The 13th abolished slavery, the 14th is equal protection under the law, and the 15th is the right to vote to all. -
Hayes-Tilden Compromise
Stated that Southern Democrats would acknowledge Republican Rutherford B. Hayes as president, but only on the understanding that Republicans would meet certain demands. Those demands are: formally removing troops from former Confederate states, the appointment of at least one Southern Democrat to Hayes's cabinet, the construction of another trans continental railroad, and legislation to help industrialize the South.
