-
Founded in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the expansion of slavery into U.S. territories. -
Allowed settlers in those territories to decide on slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise and escalating tensions over slavery. -
The Confederate government moved its capital from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia. -
Lincoln won the presidency as the first Republican president, prompting several Southern states to begin secession. -
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, with delegates unanimously voting for secession at a convention in Charleston. The decision was driven largely by the election of Abraham Lincoln and fears over the future of slavery. -
Jefferson Davis was unanimously elected as the provisional president of the Confederate States of America by delegates from six seceded Southern states meeting in Montgomery, Alabama. -
The first shots of the Civil War were fired at this Union fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. -
Lee took command of the main Confederate army and would lead it for most of the war. -
The first major land battle of the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory and dispelling hopes for a short war. -
The first battle between ironclad warships, ending in a draw but signaling a new era of naval warfare. -
A bloody battle in Tennessee that shocked the nation with its high casualties with the union succeeding. -
The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 22,000 casualties. It ended in a tactical draw, but gave President Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. -
To deal with dissent and maintain order during the war, Lincoln authorized the detention of suspected Confederate sympathizers without trial. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg took place in Virginia and resulted in a decisive Confederate victory. Union forces, led by General Ambrose Burnside, suffered heavy losses after repeatedly attacking well-entrenched Confederate positions on Marye’s Heights. -
A major Confederate victory, but with heavy losses—including the death of General "Stonewall" Jackson. -
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War and the bloodiest battle of the conflict. Union forces, under General George Meade, repelled General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North, ending in a significant Confederate defeat. -
A turning point in the war, the Union gained control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy. -
Violent protests against conscription, largely by working-class immigrants; significant loss of life and property. -
A brief but powerful speech redefining the purpose of the war and emphasizing unity and freedom. -
Union General William T. Sherman captured this key Confederate city, boosting Northern morale. -
Lincoln was re-elected during the Civil War, defeating his former general. -
A devastating campaign of total war from Atlanta to Savannah, destroying Confederate infrastructure. -
Abolished slavery in the United States; ratified in December 1865. -
Established to aid former slaves in the South with education, healthcare, employment, and housing. -
He urged reconciliation and healing, famously stating “with malice toward none, with charity for all.” -
The Confederate capital was captured by Union forces, signaling the imminent end of the war. -
Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War. -
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the following morning, making him the first U.S. president to be assassinated and plunging the nation into mourning just days after the Civil War ended. -
Booth, Lincoln’s assassin, was cornered and shot by Union soldiers in Virginia.