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Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner launched a rebellion that made people confront slavery. Nat grew up got into intense religious training that earned him the nickname “the Prophet” from nearby slaves as he exerts a powerful influence on them. When he was sold for the second time, he saw a sign in a form of an eclipse. He took the sign as a sign to rebel so on August 21, he killed his slave owner & the family along with many white people in two days. Nat was eventually captured and hanged. -
The Compromise of 1850
In the attempt to solve the crisis between the North & South, Senator Henry Clay passes a series of resolutions. The compromise made both sides satisfied enough for a few years to pass with no problems. However, the new legislation of the Fugitive Act displeased many Northerners because it stated runaway slaves must be arrested & given back to their owners. But still, the compromise postponed the Civil War and earned some temporary peace in the country. -
The Fugitive Slave Act
The Fugitive Slave Act stated all slaves were to return to their owners, even if they are living in a free state. The government at the time was responsible for finding & capturing escaped slaves. Because of this act, many slaves who were free were captured illegally & sold into slavery. Additionally, this act forced citizens to make a decision; are they going to support slavery or be against it? -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling book of the 19th century. It shed light on the reality of slavery. This anti-slavery book featured Uncle Tom who is a long-suffering black slave. The book not only shows the reality of slavery but laid the groundwork for the Civil War & made white people realized how injustice slavery is. The book’s impact contributed to the start of the Civil War as Lincoln said to Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, “So this was the lady who started this great war.” -
1860 Presidential Election
The 1860 Presidential Election was important because it was the election that led to the war. Abraham Lincoln won this election, receiving the most electoral & popular votes out of all the candidates. Lincoln became president because of his evolving views on slavery & race, changing the Union with him as the war unfolded. But since Lincoln won, seven Southern states secede from the Union for they were scared of Lincoln’s policies. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
When President Lincoln announced supply ships were heading to Fort Sumter, Confederate troops led by Confederate General Beauregard began bombing the fort. Union troops fought back by opening fire toward the Southern troops. However, after 34 hours of continuous battle, the Union was significantly outgunned leading Major Anderson to agree to surrender & evacuate the fort. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This was the first major battle & the turning point of the Civil War. Taking place in Virginia, the Union commanded by General Irvin McDowell attempted to surprise the Confederates along the river named Bull Run. Even though Union troops outnumbered the Confederates, the Union was forced to retreat when more of their forces of General Joseph Johnston helped General Pierre Beauregard's troops to fight back. -
Battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
The two battles were the first major victories for the Unions. At the battle of Fort Henry, Union Brigadier Grant & Confederate Brigadier Tilghman launched a fierce naval bombardment. Confederate Tilghman secretly moved a bulk of his troops to Fort Donelson before surrendering to the Union. At the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Union successfully captured the Confederates & with the fall of both forts, the waterways in Cumberland & Tennessee rivers were under Union control for the rest of the war. -
Battle of the Ironclads
This naval battle was important to the war because it proved ironclad warships are valuable, changing the course of naval warfare. At Hampton Roads, the Confederate ship Merrimack attacked the Union's wooden ships. Both ships sunk after cannonballs were blasted at them. The next day, Merrimack came back only to find the Union ship Monitor was waiting for them. After hours of fighting & countless cannonballs, both ships left the battle. No one won this battle, but it proved the ironclads’ value. -
The Battle of Shiloh
This two-day battle was one of the bloodiest battles in the war & the largest battle fought in the Western Theater. Led by Ulysses Grant, the Union won against the Confederates. While the Union was victorious, the 1st night of battle wasn't their best. Confederates were able to hold off the Union’s advancement into Mississippi, giving them an upper hand. But on the 2nd day, the Army of Ohio arrived led by Maj. Gen. Don Buell, & the Union successfully fought off the Confederates who retreated. -
The Battle and Capture of New Orleans
The battle & capture of New Orleans were some of the worst disasters the Confederates faced during the war. The Union naval fleet led by Admiral David Farragut breached the chain cables in the lower Mississippi, a prime defense for the Confederates. Confederate Gen. Lovell realized resistance won’t help so he moved his troops northward & the city fell the next day. The next month on the first was when Gen. B.F. Butler marched his Union troops to take control of the city throughout the war. -
Battle of Antietam
On this day, the Confederates tried their first attempt of invasion of Northern states by invading Washington, D.C. This eight-hour battle of endless fighting between the Union troops of Maj. Gen. George McClellan & the Confederate troops of Confederate Gen. Robert Lee was the bloodiest single day in American military history. Eventually, both sides stopped to regroup the fallen & Gen. Lee’s troops went back to Virginia. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
This was one of the most one-sided battles of the war. The Union Army of the Potomac led by Gen. Ambrose Burnside tried to go to the Confederate capital of Richmond before Gen. Robert Lee, stopped him. Political delays delayed Burnside from getting materials need to build pontoon bridges & by then, Lee’s army blocked the crossing. Yet, they managed to cross resulting in direct combat for two days. On Dec. 15, Burnside had no choice but to withdraw his army, giving the Confederate’s a victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
As the war approached its third year at war, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This proclamation stated, "all persons held as slaves within any States, or designated part of the State, the people whereof shall be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." But this proclamation didn't free all the slaves in slavery. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle stopped Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker’s Army of their attempt to invade Richmond. Although the Union army was twice the size of the Confederate army led by Gen. Robert Lee, he managed to beat the Union by splitting up his army into two & attacking the Union this way. A risky move for Lee, but it turned out well as it was one of the biggest Confederate victories. Sadly, Gen. Thomas Jackson died during this battle which affected the Confederate army sorely as he was a big part of this war. -
Siege of Vicksburg
The Siege of Vicksburg was a significant victory for the Union. The Vicksburg campaign was the longest & one of the most successful to the Union as Gen. Ulysses Grant was able to finally take over the city. Once he took over the city, the Union was able to take over the stronghold of Vicksburg, lying east of the Mississippi River. With the Union controlling the Mississippi, it cut off an important supply line for the Confederates and dividing their troops into two. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle was a major turning point in the war. Gen. Robert Lee marched his army to Pennsylvania after his victory at Chancellorsville. On July 1, they clashed with the Union at the crossroads of Gettysburg for two days. On July 3, Gen. Lee ordered an assault known as the “Pickett’s Charge” which was ineffective & made him lose many soldiers. Because of this, Lee was forced to withdraw on July 4, a major victory for the Union as they stopped Lee’s invasion into the North. -
Gettysburg Address
One of the most famous speeches in history, the Gettysburg Address Lincoln delivered showed the dedication to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. His speech contains historical facts about the American Revolution, saying how this war is the continuation of that previous war. This short but powerful speech placed the Civil War into an American historical context. -
Appomattox
Gen. Robert Lee’s surrender at the Appomattox Court House effectively ended the Civil War. When Gen. Lee realized his army was stretched too thin to break into the Union line, he knew he had to surrender. He didn’t want to continue the battle because that would lead to unnecessary destruction in the South. After giving up his troops to Gen. Grant & was given their terms, the Civil War ended. -
Lincoln’s Assassination
While attending a play at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., President Lincoln was shot fatally in the head. The offender was actor John Wilkes Booth whose motive to kill Lincoln was his fear for the man; he believes Lincoln was determined to destroy the South he loved dearly & to overthrow the Constitution. The slavery supporter was hung after a 12-day man hunt was organized.