-
Republican Party is formed
The Republican Party was created by abolitionists who opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act passed
Created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and allowed residents to decide through popular sovereignty whether to permit slavery. -
Robert E. Lee is named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
On June 1st in 1860, Robert E. Lee was given the role to command the Army of Norther Virginia. -
Abraham Lincoln elected president
Most of Lincoln's votes came from the North and the Republicans held little appeal to voters in the South. -
South Carolina votes secede from the United States
South Carolina was the first state to secede in 1860, the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected. This triggered the south slaveholders. -
Jefferson Davis elected president of the Confederacy
After Mississippi seceded from the Union, Jefferson Davis who was a senator and Secretary of War was elected for president of the CSA (Confederate Sates of America). -
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces initiated the American Civil War by firing on the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. -
Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
During the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus multiple times and it raised legal and constitutional questions, the Supreme Court sided with Lincoln. -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia, became the capital of the Confederate States of America -
First Battle of Bull Runs is fought
It was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a Confederate victory and highlighted how inexperienced and unprepared the two sides were. -
The Merrimack and the Monitor fight of the Virginia coast
It was the first engagement between armored ships in naval history, but the battle ended with a drawl -
Battle of Shiloh
It was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought on April 6-7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee at Pittsburgh Landing. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam led the Union to victory, preventing Confederate General Robert E. Lee from invading the North on September 17. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was a major victory for the Confederates in the American Civil War. The union army. -
Emancipation Proclamation is announced
It was declared by President Lincoln that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory would be free. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The battle was fought from March 30 to May 6. The Confederate Army was able to win the battle even when Robert E. Lee was outnumbered. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3 in 1863, was a turning point for the American Civil War and caused a lot of casualties. -
Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
Confederate General John C. Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg and troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. This ensured the Unions control over the Mississippi River. -
New York City draft riots
It was a series of violence that was a response to the Conscription Act of 1863. The riots were fueled by opposition to the draft, racial tensions, and the commutation clause in the act. -
Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address
The 2 minute speech was given to commemorate the Union soldiers who died during the Battle of Gettysburg and to dedicate the cemetery to them. -
Atlanta is captured
Atlanta was captured by the Union forces as part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War. -
Abraham Lincoln defeats George McClellan to win re-election
Lincoln defeated McClellan by 212–21 in the electoral college vote. -
Sherman begins his March to the Sea
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman began his "March to the Sea" campaign that his 62,000-man army traveled through Georgia, ultimately capturing the Confederate port city of Savannah. It took 37 days and they burned and destroyed Confederate infrastructure and resources in their path -
Freedman's Bureau is created
Congress passed an act to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners like newly freed African Americans. -
Lincoln gives his second inaugural address
Abraham Lincoln gave is second inaugural speech as president and it reflected on the American Civil War's meaning and called for healing and reconciliation. -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
The Confederate government and army evacuated Richmond on April 2, 1865, after being forced to abandon their positions at Petersburg. The Confederate officials ordered fires to be set to destroy warehouses and supplies, but the flames spread, causing significant damage. Union troops entered Richmond on April 3, taking control of the city and extinguishing the fires. -
Congress passed the 13th Amendment
It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrenders the North Virginia Army to Ulysses S. Grant and it ended the American Civil War. -
President Lincoln assassination
On April 15, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated at the Petersen House in Washington, DC. John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor shot Lincoln in the back of his head. -
John Wilkes Booth is killed
John Wilkes Booth was shot in the neck by a Federal soldier while he was trying to get out of a burning tobacco barn he kept hidden.