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Republican Party is formed
The Republican Party was formed on March 20 1854 by anti-slavery activists and former members of the Whig, Free Soil, and Democratic parties. They opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories and sought to promote economic development and modernization. The party quickly gained support in the North and played a significant role in the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act passed
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed on May 30, 1854, and it allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves wether to allow slavery withing their borders. It effectively repealed the Missouri compromise of 1820. This act intensified tensions between pro-slavery factions and contributed to the outbreak of violence in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas." -
Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
The Confederates surrendered at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, during the American Civil War, after a prolonged siege by Union forces. This victory gave the Union control of the Mississippi River and was a turning point in the war. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States on November 6, 1860, just before the outbreak of the Civil War. He won the election as the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party, which was opposed to the expansion of slavery into the western territories. His victory prompted several Southern states to secede from the Union, leading to the Civil War. -
Vote for secession of South Carolina from the U.S.
South Carolina voted to seced from the U.S. on December 20, 1860, becoming the first state to do so. This decision was a key event leading to the outbreak of the American Civil War. -
Jefferson Davis election for President of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis was elected as the President of the Confederacy on February 18, 1861, shortly after the secession of Southern states following Abrahams election as President of the U.S.. He was a former U.S. senator and Secretary of War and was chosen to lead the Confederate States through the Civil War because of his political experience, military background, and leadership. -
Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, initiating the American Civil War. This act marked the beginning of armed conflict between Northern and Southern states. -
Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus on April 27, 1861 initially for the region between Philedelphia and Washington, D.C., and later expanded the suspension to cover the entire country on September 24, 1862. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War, which allowed the government to detain individuals with out trial, primarily to maintain order and suppress dissent in states sympathetic to the Confederacy. -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
Richmond became the Capital of the Confederacy on May 29, 1861, chosen for its strategic location and symbolism,
as Virginia was a key state in the Confederacy. THis move signaled the Confederacy;s commitment to the secession and the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The first Battle of Bull Run, also known as the first Battle of Manassas, took place on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia. It was the first major battle of the American CIvil War, resulting in a Confederate victory and highlighting the intensity and complexity of the conflict ahead. -
The Merrimac and the Monitor fight of Virginia Coast
The fight of the USS Monitor and the USS Merrimac off the coast of Virginia occured on MArch 9, 1862, during the American Civil War. It was the first meeting in combat between ironclad warships, marking a significant moment in naval warfare history. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a pivotal engagement in the American Civil War, fought on April 6-7, 1862, near Pittsburg Landing, Tenessee. Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant, but the Union army held its ground. Reinforcments arrived, and Grant counterattacked, driving the Confederates back. The battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides and marked a turning point in the war's western theater, solidifying Union control over Tenessee. -
Robert E. Lee named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
Robert E. Lee was named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862, during the American Civil War. This appointment came after the Confederate victory at the battle of Seven Pines and marked the beginning of Lee's legendary leadership in the Confederate army. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was fought on Spetember 17,1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and was the bloodiest single day battle in American history. It ended in a tactical draw but was considered a strategic Union victory as it halted Confederate General Lee's first invasion of the North. -
Announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation
The Emnciapation Proclamation was announced by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the Civil War. It declared that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory would be freed as of January 1, 1863. This proclamation marked a significant shift in the Union's goals, turning the Civil War into a fight for freedom as well as preserving the Union. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The battle of Fredricksburg was fought on December 11, 1862, during the American Civil War and was a significant Confederate victory where Union forced, led by General Burnside, suffered heavy casualties while attempting to capture the city of Fredrickburg, Virginia, defended by General Lee's Confederate Army. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The battle of Chancellorsville occured from April 30 to May 6, 1863, during the American Civil War. It was fought in Virginia and is known for Confederate General Robert E. Lee's audacious tactics, including his famous flank attack, which resulted in a Confederate victory over Union forces led by General Joseph Hooker. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on Jully 1, 1863, during the American Civil War and was the deadliest battles of the conflict and a turning point. Union forces, led by General Meade, defeated Confederate General Lee's army, ending Lee's invasion of the North and marking a crucial moment in the war. -
New York City draft riots
The New Yorl Cirty draft riots occurred from July 13 to July 16, 1863, and were a violent protest against the Enrollment Act of Conscription, which allowed for the drafting of men into the Union Army during the American Civil War. They were omg the deadliest riots in American history, with violence aimed at African AMericans and symbols of wealth and power. -
Lincoln giving his Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Affress on November 19, 1863, during the dedication ceremony for the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The speech lasted only a few minutes but became one of the most famous and enduring speeches in American history, emphasizing the principles of equality and democracy, -
Atlanta is captured
Atlanta was captured on September 2, 1864, by Union forces commanded by General William Tecumseh Sherman during the American Civil War. It's fall was a significant blow to the Confederacy, as Atlanta was a vital transportation hub and industrial center for the South. -
Abraham Lincoln defeats George McClellan to win re-election
Abraham Lincoln defeated George McClellan on November 8, 1864, amid the Civil War, securing his re-election. Lincolns victory signaled popular support for his leadership during the conflict and his commitment to preserving the Union. -
Sherman begins his March to the Sea
General William Tecumseh Sherman began his "March to the Sea" on November 15, 1864, leading Union forces from Atlanta to Savannah during the American Civil War. This strategic campaign aimed to demoralize the Confederacy by cutting off its resources and destroying its infrastructure. -
Congress passes the 13th Amendment
Congress passed the 13th Amendment on January 31, 1865, during the American Civil War. It abolished slavery in the United States, marking a significant step toward ending institutionalized slavery and advancing Civil rights. -
Freedman’s Bureau is created
Freedman's Bureau was established on March 3, 1865, during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. It was created to assist newly freed African Americans and refugees by providing food, clothing, medical care, and education, as well as overseeing labor contracts and land distribution. -
Lincoln gives his second inaugural address
Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, during his second inauguration as President of the United States. In his speech, Lincoln emphasized reconciliation and healing, expressing hope for the nation's unity after the Civil War. -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
Richmond fell to the Union Army on April 3, 1865, during the American Civil War. The fall of Richmond was a significant blow to the Confederacy, symbolizing the impending defeat of the South. Union forced captured the city after a series of battles and sieges, leading to the collapse of Confederate morale and infrastructure. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, marking the effective end of the Amrican Civil War. This surrender followed a series of defeats for the Confederate army and signaled the beginning of the war's conclusion. -
Assasination of president Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 while attending a play at Ford's theater in Washington D.C. He was shot in the back of the head and died the next morning. -
John Wilkes killed
John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was killed on April 26, 1865, by Union soldiers in Virginia. Booth had fled after assassinating Lincoln on April 14, 1865, and was ultimately cornered in a barn where he was shot and killed while resisting capture.