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The Civil War was fought during this time
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Jefferson Davis, the man who eventually would become the President of the Confederate States, favors secession way for the first time.
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On April 3, 1860, the famous Pony Express (the older version of the modern US Mail Service) is established between St. Joseph MO to Sacramento, CA. It would last until October of 1861.
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On May 18, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was nominated to run the Republican party. He would be the man that would eventually win the 1860 election and become the 16th president.
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On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected president a year before the Civil War started.
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South Carolina calls for a meeting to decide whether the state should secede or not.
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James Chesnut Jr, a senator from South Carolina, resigns from Senate after Lincoln becomes president. He is followed by James H. Hammond.
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James Buchanan tells Congress that federal government isnt trying to stop other states from seceding the Union. He calls for an amendment to make it unconstitutional.
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Georgia holds a convention for Southern States to become an independent union from the Nothern States. This convention will eventually lead the states to secede from the Union.
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South Carolina governers and other officials come together to discuss formally and properly when and how to secede from the Union.
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South Carolina signs the papers, making it offical that they will no longer be part of the Union.
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The southern states, who were in favor of slavery, started to secede after Lincoln became president. Only four more southern states will follow the others in seceding later in the year.
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The Convention of Seceded States write a provisional constitution for the Confederate States of America.
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Jefferson Davis was elected among other canidates to be President of the Confederate States of America. Davis was actually disappointed; he wanted to be the military leader.
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On this date, Lincoln was attempted to be assasinated. However he survived the attempt. It is known as the Baltimore Plot.
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Lincoln, who was elected president during November a year earlier, was inaugurated on this date.
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Fort Sumter was attacked in Charleston Harbor and started the Civil War. The fort only surrendered after all supplies were gone.
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The final four states, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina start to join the Confederate States of America. No other states after May will join.
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First land engagement fought between the American and Confederate armies.
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The north-western part of Virgina broke away from the state and joined the Union, naming themselves West Virgina.
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The First Battle of Bull Run (known as the First Manassas in the Confederate States) was the first major battle of the Civil War.
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Lincoln issues a war order to McClellan to agressively fight the Confederacy. However, McClellan ignores the order.
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Lincoln was given extra powers (after a vote in Congress) to limit the citizens rights for the Civil War.
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After not igniting the war, Lincoln replaced McClellan. The first time he was replaced, General John Pope replaced McClellan. However, McClellan was brought back to being head of the Union Army when Pope didnt do his job. At the second and last time, McClellan was replaced by General Ambrose Burnside.
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Navy captin David Farragut led an assult up the Mississippi River and captured New Orleans. It leads to the final capture of the Mississippi River and cuts off all trade for mid-west.
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Confederate forces attack the Union near a small church named Shiloh. By the night, the Confederates have the upper hand. However, Union reinforcements come during the night and turn the tables, winning the battle. There are many casualties on both sides.
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General Robert E. Lee breaks General McClellan's seige on Richmond, VA (the Confederate capital). This battle will rage on until July 1, and the Union won't be able to capture Richmond.
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This battle was fought on the same ground as the first Bull Run. This time, the battle was much worse, as both sides were on the offensive this battle. The Confederates won this battle.
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Genral "Stonewall" Jackson was assigned to captured this West Virginia town (which had access to the Potamac and Shenandoah valleys). He successfully captured men, supplies and weapons from the Union.
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The Condeferate forces were attacked by McClellan's army in Antietam, VA. This turns out to be the bloodiest one day battle in the whole Civil War. Close to 2,000 Confederate men died with 10,000 wounded. The statistics are close to the same for Union men.
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Lincoln issues an early version of the Emancipation Proclamation. It said that all slaves in Confederate states must be freed by January 1, 1863.
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This issue of the Proclamation, Lincoln says that all slaves in Confederate states are free. In the other issue, only the slaves that supported the Confederacy were free.
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Lincoln sets up the Enrollment Act (also known as the First Conscription) where men between ages 20 and 45 were required to sign up for the army.
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On March 4, 1863, Lincoln signs a bill crating the Idaho Territory. It caused the United States to grow larger in size.
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On this date, Confederate general Stonewall Jackson died from contemplations of pneumonia. He remained spiritually strong up and through his death.
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General Grant leads a seige on the city of Vickburg, Mississippi. He defeats the Confederate troops and wins the city. This would lead up to the Union gaining control of the Mississippi River.
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A 3 day battle will occur in Gettysburg, PA. It will be considered the bloodiest battle in the whole Civil War and in modern wars toay. The Union will win this battle, and General Lee will no longer send Confederates into the Union land again.
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Citizens in New York City riot over the Enrollment Act because most of the men who had to fight needed to be home to make money for their families. Also, many were immigrants and were not American citizens yet, causing the Act to be controversial.
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Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address at the gravesite of the Gettysburg Battle. Unlike what rumor says, Lincoln did not write his famous speech on the train to Gettysburg PA.
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Southern Forces abadnon Knoxville, TN, giving almost complete control of Tennesse to the Union army.
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Lincoln issues the Amnesty Proclamation, which basically says that anyone involved in the Civil War (directed at the Confederates) will not be severely punished. He issued this in preparation of the Reconstructed period.
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A pro-union government in Arkansaa approves of an anti-slavery constitution. It shows that some people in the south changed their minds or wanted the war to end.
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Grant is promoted to lieutenant general, giving him full command of the entire Union Army.
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Grant stops the prisoner exchange between Union and the Confederate armies. The Confederate army suffers alot, because the exchange was a big source of man power.
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The Wilderness Campaign begins. The Union Army will fight its way toward Richmond, Va, the Confederate capital. It will loose twice as many men as the South, but they will still advance.
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Congress changes the Draft ages to 17-50, making more men eligable to fight.
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General Jubal A. Early and 14,000 men enter Washington DC, causing panic in the city. However, before Early and his men can capture the city, reinforcements arrive on the Union side, driving out Early and the 14,000 men,
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The Confederate army tries to block the Union army from capturing all railroads that lead to Atlanta. However, it was an epic fail for the Confederate army.
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General Hood, of the Confederate army, evacuates Atlanta, GA after the Union blocked railroad access to the city.
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General Sherman captures the city of Atlanta. It is a big morale booster for the Union army, and it help re-elected President Lincoln.
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Genreal Sherman starts his March to the Sea (aka a path of war in which he will attack any Confederate place he sees). It's noted that he left all supplies behind and lived off the land.
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General Robert E. Lee is promoted to Commander-In-Chief for the Confederate Army. The army is broken- many men are injured, and the chances of winning are diminishing.
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Since Lincoln was re-elected for his second term, it is only right to award him with a second Inauguration Ceremony. He will be inaugurated on March 4, 1865.
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General Lee makes a last ditch effort to turn the war around by trying to smash through Grant's army at Richmond and Petersburg. The odds were 2 to 1, favoring the Union side. The Confederate army was forced to surrender.
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General Robert E. Lee and General Ulyessus S. Grant meet at Appomattox Court House in Virginia and discuss surrendering terms. This is the official date of when the Confederate States of America's army surrenders.
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Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, at For'd Theatre. Many people in the auidence thought the gunshot and Booth's jump from the President's box was part of the show. It was not until Booth had excaped that the auidence realised it wasnt part of the show.
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President Andrew Johnson, sucesser to Abraham Lincoln, announces his plan to reconstruct the South on May 1, 1865.
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After the fall of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis fled Richmond, Va. On May 10th, he was captured by federal calvery in Southern Georgia. He was held in prison for 2 years, accused of treason. His surffering won the hearts of many Southerners, who considered him a maytr for their loss cause.
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4 men are hung on July 7, 1865. They are thought to be in cahoots with John Wilks Booth.
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Southern legislators start issuing laws known as Black Codes. It restricts African American's rights, and suports Whtie Supremacy.
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The 13th Amendement is ratified, ending slavery in all states in the United States of America.
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On his brithday in 1866, Lincoln's birthday was nationally recognized. President Andrew Johnson attended the observation in Washington D.C.
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The United States stats that there is a state of peace with many of the Confederate States, like South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee. However, Texas was not part of that state of peace.
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Congress buys Ford's Theatre for $100,000. Ford's Theatre was the place where Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. It will be the Army Medical Museum, the Office for the Surgeon General, and will house the War Department records until 1893.
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President Johnson had vetoed this bill once before, but this time Congress overrided him with two-thrids of the vote. The Civil Rights Act helped protect the rights of African-Americans.
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The 39th Congress of the United States approves of the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment gave basic constitutional rights like citizenship to free and former slaved African-Americans. It was a big step to creating equality in the USA.
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Connecticut becomes the first state to ratify the 14th amendment. New Hampshire, Tennessee and New Jersey will follow within the next month or so.
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Admiral was not always around. On July 25, 1866 Congress invents the position Admiral, which is the highest position a navy officer can get. David Farragut, the man who was responsible for capturing New Orleans during the Civil War, is the first man to be awarded with this honor.
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The U.S Secret Servicce begins their investigation on the Klu Klux Klan. The Klu Klux Klan was a secret society formed by whites in the South who sided with white suppremacy. They tourtured, harrassed and killed thousands of African-Americans and whites who tried to help the former slaves.
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President Andrw Johnson sends a proclaimation of peace to Texas. Up to this point, Texas has denied or protested rejoining the United States of America. They rejected the 14th amendment and could face punishment in the Second Reconstruction.
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On the 6th anniversary of secussion, South Carolina rejects the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment gave basic consitutional rights to former slaves. By rejecting it the amendment, it showed that not everyone was in favor of changing to the Union lifestyle.
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African-Americans in Washington D.C gain the right to vote in a bill passed over President Johnson's veto.
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Nebraska becomes a state on this date. A few weeks later, it will ratify the 14th amendment and join the Union.
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Federal government establishes military rule in Mississippi under the 2nd Reconstruction. Mississippi will not be happy with this.
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This Act denys the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with consent of Congress.
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Thousands of African-American votes were denied of submittion in Alexandria, VA. This goes against everything under the 1st Reconstruction.
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Congress passes a bill to start the 2nd Reconstruction. Once again, Congress had to override President Andrew Johnson's veto of the bill.
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Congress ratifies a treaty to purchase land from Russia. The land will become modern day state Alaska.
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Congress passes a bill admitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, having refused to ratify the 14th amendment, were not admitted into the Union.
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The House Select Committee on Reconstruction is appointed on this date. Congress felt it would be better if Congress had control over Reconstruciton, and so President Johnson was stripped from that power.
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Russia gives the land known as modern day Alaska to the United States. However, it will not become aa state right away.
