-
Period: to
Civil War
-
Jefferson Davis submits "On the Relations of States"
The document was a set of resolutions submitted to the Senate stating the position of the south. It mentioned that slavery is a large portion of their domestic institutions. -
Fort Donelson
The Confederacy surrender Fort Donelson and Ulysses S. Grant was given the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" here. -
The Pony Express
The Pony Express was an effective way to transport mail in a quick and orderly fashion. The trail went from the east to the west coast and was used while telegraphs were still in the works. -
Republican Convention 1860
The Republican Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, and it was to determine the Republican nominee for the 1860 presidential election. Abraham Lincoln won the presidential nominee. -
Democratic Convention
The Democratic Convention was held in Richmond, Virginia. They selected John C. Breckinridge as their nominee for President. -
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected President this election. He supported abolishing slavery nationwide and this issue divided the North and the South. The North favored his election and the South disliked him. -
Results of the 1860 Election
The election of 1860 was a close election in the popular vote between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglass with a difference of 483,739 in Lincoln's favor. But, the electoral college votes are vastly different - Lincoln had 180 votes and Stephen A. Douglas has 12. -
James Chesnut Resigns
Senator James Chesnut was the first to resign from his seat because of the 1860 election results. He declared his support for the Confederacy. -
State of The Union Address
In December of 1860, President James Buchanan delivered the fourth annual State of the Union Address to Congress. In the address, the division of the country is mentioned and Buchanan warns that "It can not be denied that for five and twenty years the agitation at the North against slavery has been incessant." The tension is continuously rising and the war is being anticipated. -
Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was proposed by Senator John Crittenden. It consisted of 6 constitutional amendments and four congressional solutions to try to avoid war between the North and South. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina was the first to secede from the nation. The state set the precedent for the following states to secede from the United States and join together to create the Confederacy. -
Southern Seccession
States started seceding from the United States rapidly. After South Carolina, Mississippi (January 9, 1861), Florida (January 10, 1861), Alabama (January 11, 1861), Georgia (January 19, 1861), Louisiana (January 26, 1861), Texas (February 1, 1861), Virginia (April 17, 1861), Arkansas (May 6, 1861), North Carolina (May 20, 1861), and Tennessee (June 8, 1861) seceded. -
Fort Donelson
Fort Donelson was surrendered by the Confederacy and where Ulysses S. Grant was given the nickname "Unconditional Surrender." -
Lincoln is Inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln is officially inaugurated and becomes the 16th President of the United States. -
Fort Sumter
Rebel troops are forced to make a decision and fire upon Fort Sumter. The Civil War officially begins. -
Philippi
A skirmish in western Virginia becomes the first clash in the east. -
Battle of Big Bethel
The first battle of the Civil War that is fought on land is in Virginia. -
Wheeling Convention
Northwestern counties broke off of Virginia and formed the state of West Virginia. -
The Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was a bloody battle where the Confederate army came out victorious. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Willow's Creek gave the Confederates control of southwestern Missouri. -
Fort Hatteras
The Anaconda Plan is in action and the Union is able to overpower Fort Hatteras. They are able to close southern ports along the coast. -
Jefferson Davis' Role in the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederacy. He served a full six-year term. -
Surrender of Fort Henry
When the Confederacy surrendered Fort Henry, it allowed the Union to control the river. -
Battle of Roanoke Island
The battle was fought in North Carolina and the Union was victorious. The Union occupied eastern North Carolina and used it as an operations base. -
Jefferson Davis' Inaugurated
Jefferson Davis was inaugurated and became the first and only President of the Confederacy. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The victory for the North at the Battle of Shiloh allowed them to penetrate the Confederacy from the interior. The morale of the Confederacy dropped and the army had lost their general, Albert Sidney. -
New Orleans Falls
Admiral David Farragut demands the surrender of New Orleans. Two days after his demand and the forts there fall and are gained by the Union. -
Seven Days Battle
General Lee and General McClellan battled with their troops for seven days starting June 25 and ending July 1, 1862. This is when it was realized that the war might string longer than anticipated because of Robert E. Lee's knowledge of war. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Under Robert E. Lee, the Confederate Army wins the Second Battle of Bull Run. The Union retreated back towards Washington D.C. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil war. McClellan could have ended the war but rather chose to play safe and not utilize all of his men. -
Lincoln Fires McClellan
Lincoln was frustrated with McClellan for not destroying Robert E. Lee's army. He relieved him of his position after the Battle of Antietam. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg took place in Virginia and resulted in a Confederate victory. It was a significant battle because the Union army suffered over 12,500 casualties in comparison to the 4,200 casualties the Confederates suffered. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an order to free the slaves in the North and South. However, the South acknowledged itself as separate from the United States, nullifying the order until they were back in the United States. -
Conscription
A method used to draft soldiers into the military to fight in the war begins in the North. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville
The win for the Confederacy at the Battle of Chancellorsville was significant because then the rebel army could continue advancing into northern territory. Unfortunately, "Stonewall" Jackson passed at this battle but it was one of Robert E. Lee's best military victories. -
Siege of Vicksburg
General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Confederate defenses and lays siege on the city. When Vicksburg fell, Grant gained complete control of the Mississippi River. -
The Battle of Brandy Station
The Battle of Brandy Station was the largest cavalry battle to take place on American soil. Robert E. Lee launched a second Northern invasion which resulted in a Confederate victory. -
Battle of Winchester Virginia
General Richard Ewell defeats General Robert Milroy and his Union troops. -
West Virginia Becomes a State
West Virginia becomes the 35th state to enter the United States. Because of the Emancipation Proclamation, there is no concern on whether it'll be a free or slave state. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg has the highest count of casualties throughout the entire war. The Union victory plummeted the morale of Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy. -
The Gettysburg Address
Lincoln honors and applauds both the Confederacy and the Union at the battlefield of the Battle of Gettysburg and declares it to be a graveyard for the soldiers. In the speech he also tries to uplift the country and bind them together, hoping for the war to come to an end. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Lincoln offers to pardon the people who participated and committed treason in the rebellion if they take an oath to the Union. -
H.L. Hunley
A Confederate submarine was the first successful submarine attack in the Civil War. It attacked the Union's USS Housatonic which broke apart and sank. -
Grant Promoted to Lieutenant
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed lieutenant general and takes over command of all Union Armies. -
Fort Pillow
This battle was controversial because it was more of a massacre. Even after Union soldiers surrendered, rebels slaughtered them rather than taking them in as prisoners. In return, the north stopped doing prison exchanges with the south out of retaliation. -
Upcoming Election
Lincoln is nominated by his party to run for his second term as President. -
General John Bell
General John Bell replaces General Joseph Johnston as commander of the army in Tennessee. His purpose is to discourse and stop Sherman's campaign. -
Sherman Lays Siege
General Sherman lays siege on Atlanta, Georgia which is a major Confederate hub. He cut off supply lines and trapped the civilians. He forced the Confederates to retreat. -
Lincoln is Elected President
Lincoln wins his second presidential election in 1864 against nominee George McClellan. -
March to the Sea
General Sherman's march to the sea was to frighten civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. They stole food and livestock and burned houses on their travels. -
Battle of Franklin
The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee was a battle where the Confederacy took a loss under General John Bell Hood. In the battle, six of Hood's generals were killed, 1,750 of his soldiers died and 5,500 were captured or wounded. -
Battle of Nashville
The Confederate army in Tennessee led by General John Bell Hood was powerful but was nearly destroyed by General George Thomas and the Union Army. The rebels were driven back and then had to retreat to Mississippi. -
Capture of Fort Fisher
The Union capture Fort Fisher and made it an easy, achievable goal to capture the port at Wilmington. Wilmington was the last major seaport available to the south. -
Sherman Captures South Carolina
Union General Sherman ransacked Columbia, South Carolina, and burnt the city down. -
Lincoln's Second Inauguration
Lincoln was inaugurated into his second term. -
Jefferson Davis Flees Richmond
General Grant attacked near Petersburg, Virginia, forcing Confederate troops to evacuate the town. If the Union are victorious here, they ensure the fall of Richmond. Davis is forced to abandon the capital. -
Lee Surrenders
At the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, General Robert E. Lee meets with Ulysses S. Grant to discuss the terms of the Confederacy surrender. He was forced to surrender because he could not join the Confederate force in North Carolina and the capital of the Confederate states was abandoned. -
Abraham Lincoln Shot
President Lincoln and his wife went to watch a comedy at the Ford Theater. One of the actors, John Wilkes Booth, went into the President's balcony and shot President Lincoln in the back of the head. -
Abraham Lincoln Dies
The gun wound Lincoln sustained from Booth has killed him. He is the first president to be assassinated. -
John Wilkes Booth Killed
John Wilkes Booth is on the run and Union calvary finds him and traps him in a shed. When he refuses to surrender to them, the calvary kills him. -
Confederate President Jefferson Davis Captured
President Davis was captured by Union forces near Irwinville, Georgia. -
Juneteenth
Juneteenth was the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to tell the news that all enslaved people are free. It took two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation for the news to spread. -
Conspirators Hung
Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt are executed because they were believed to play a role in a conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. -
Henry Wirz Executed
Henry Wirz is executed by hanging for leading the war camp, Andersonville which treated people in inhumane ways. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment freed African Americans from slavery. It was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865. -
Black Codes
The Black Codes were a series of laws that were designed to restrict freed Black people from participating in activities and oppress them. -
Freedmen's Bureau
Freedmen's Bureau was a bill to help African Americans during the Civil War. In 1866, another bill was introduced to extend the bureau's tenure and give it new legal powers. -
Peace Amongst the States
President Andrew Johnson announces that the insurrection that existed in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, and Virginia ended. -
Secessionist Convention
The convention was called to meet requirements for Texas' reentry into the United States. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
President Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act because he believed Congress did not have the powers to enforce it. Congress overrode his veto. -
The Nickel
Congress approves a new coin that is worth 5 cents called the nickel. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment gives civil rights to African Americans. -
General of the Army Title
The rank, "General of the Army" was passed by Congress and Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to hold the title. -
Tennessee
Tennessee was the first state to rejoin the United States after seceding and the Civil War. -
The Atlantic Cable
The Atlantic Cable was installed and allowed transatlantic telegraph communication. The original use was for the government and military purposes but it was more modernized to allow transatlantic communication. -
African American Men can Vote
In the District of Columbia, African American men are allowed to vote despite the fact that President Johnson had vetoed this. -
Nebraska Becomes a State
Nebraska was admitted into the United States as the 37th state. -
Tenure of Office Act
The law was meant to restrict the ability of the President to remove officials who were approved by Congress. -
First Reconstruction Act.
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 were conditions that outlined the terms on how the states would be readmitted into the United States. -
The Second Reconstruction Act
The Second Reconstruction Act established a two-year U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. It created a civil rights division in the Justice Department. -
The Lincoln Memorial
To honor Lincoln two years after his assassination, Congress approved a monument for Lincoln to be built. -
Charles Sumner's Alaskan Project
William Seward secretly negotiated with Russian officials to buy Alaska. -
The Third Reconstruction Act
Five Union generals are given the power to oversee the Reconstruction in five districts of the south. -
Johnson suspends Stanton
After a disagreement, President Andrew Johnson suspends his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and replaces him with Ulysses S. Grant. -
U.S. Takes Possession of Alaska
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The Russians sold it because it was remote and that made it difficult to defend.