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Population Count
There were 31,443,321 people in the beginning of 1860. -
Election results
Lincoln: WINNER! 180 electoral votes & 1,865,593 popular votes
Breckenridge: 72 electoral votes & 848,356 popular votes
Douglass: 12 electoral votes & 1,382,713 popular votes
Bell: 39 electoral votes & 1,592,906 popular votes -
Period: to
Civil War Events
Timespan covering United States Civil War -
Pony Express
The Pony Express was the an American express mail system that used horse-mounted relays. -
Henry Repeating Rifle
Benjamin Henry perfects the Henry rifle which was a huge weapon in the Union army during the war. -
Lincoln Elected as President of the U.S.
Abraham Lincoln, member of the antislavery republican party, is elected president of the United States of America. -
1st Flag of Independence
The First Flag of Independence was raised in the South by citizens of Savannah, Georgia -
Crittenden Compromise
The Crittenden Compromise was an unsuccessful compromise to try to permanently preserve slavery in the US and make it unconstitutional for future congress to abolish slavery. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
In 1860, the state of South Carolina officially withdraws from the United States of America. -
First Secession Convention
The first Secession Convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina. -
President Buchanan Fires his Cabinet.
President James Buchanan fires the members of his cabinet before Lincoln gets into office. -
More States Secede from the USA- January
Mississippi (January 9, 1861), Florida (January 10, 1861), Alabama (January 11, 1861), Georgia (January 19, 1861), Louisiana (January 26, 1861), secede from the United states. -
The Confederate States of America is Formed
Representatives of the seceded states met and formed the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis is elected as president of the CSA. -
The Confederacy is Formed
The Confederacy is formed by the seven seceded states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. -
Texas Secedes
Texas secedes from the United States and the Union as a slave state. -
Fort Sumter
Confederates attack union Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, marks first military encounter of the civil war. -
Virginia Secedes
Virginia seceded from the USA and joins the Confederate states. -
Anaconda Plan
The Union puts their Anaconda Plan into place: 1) Blockade Southern ports 2)Take control of the Mississippi river to make their way into the South 3)Invade/control the capitol of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia. -
Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina Secede
Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina secede from the Union and join the Confederate states. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The first battle of Bull Run was the first battle of the Civil War, confederate victory. -
General McClellen
George McClellan is appointed as the head of the Union Army, but will later be fired for having 'the slows'. -
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack
The first battle of the ironclad warships, the Confederates ship the Merrimack and the Union ship the Monitor clashed. -
Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh fought in Tennessee, was an early battle in the War and was a Union Victory, -
Battle of New Orleans
This Capture of New Orleans was critical for the Union during the war, Union win. -
Seven Days Battle
June 25–July 1, 1862, was a series of battles where Confederates drove back Union army as they tried to capture the capitol. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
The second Battle of Bull Run was fought in Virginia and was a Confederate win. -
Battle of Richmond
Fought in Kentucky was a huge Confederate victory over a small inexperienced Union army. -
Harpers Ferry
Confederate General Lee invades the north with 50,000 men and heads towards Harpers Ferry, later leading to the Battle of Harpers Ferry which was a Confederate win. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam fought in Maryland was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and was a Union victory. -
General McClellan has the 'slows'
Lincoln fires McClellan for having the 'slows' as a leader and not acting fast, and hires General Ambrose E. Burnside. -
Battle of Fredricksburg
This 5 day battle in Virginia was one of the largest and deadliest battles of the war and was a Confederate win. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues the Emancipation proclamation freeing all slaves in the South and allowing black men to serve in the Union army -
Conscription begins in the North
Conscription, or the drafting of soldiers into military service, begins in the North. It had begun in the South the year before -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Fought in Virginia, was a major battle in the war between Lee's and Jackson's armies, was a Confederate win. -
Stonewall Jackson Dies
General "Stonewall" Jackson dies after the battle of Chancellorsville when one of his own men fires on him. -
Seige of Vicksburg
In Mississippi, Union gained control of the Mississippi river, and was the end of the Vicksburg campaign. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Fought from July 1-3 in Pennsylvania, and was a Union victory that gave the North a huge boost in the war and ended Lee's plan to invade the North. -
Fredrick Douglass
President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass meet, an abolitionist who pushes for full equality for black soldiers of the Union. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address, dedicating the Battlefield as a National Cemetery. -
Battle of Chattanooga
The Battle of Chattanooga was a Union victory on the Tennessee river. -
Lincoln Issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the Union. -
Andersonville
The Andersonville prison camp is opened in Georgia, treats its inmates extremely harshly. -
Grant in Command
General Ulysses S. Grant is appointed commander of the Union forces. -
Battle of Cold Harbour
Fought in Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, June 3rd was the most important battle. Lee prevented Grant from capturing Richmond, it was a Confederate win. -
McClellan runs for President
The democrats nominate George B. McClellan as president to run against Lincoln in the 1864 election. -
Battle of Atlanta
Sherman's Army captures Atlanta. "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won," he telegraphs Lincoln. -
Shenandoah Valley
Union victory by Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley over Jubal Early's troops. -
Lincoln's Reelection
Lincoln is reelected as president of the United States in the 1864 election, defeating McClellan. -
Sherman's March to the sea
General Sherman begins his Union armies path of destruction and death from Atlanta to Savannah. -
Battle of Nashville
Fought in Tennessee, Hood's Confederate army is defeated and the threat to Tennessee ends. Represented the end of large scale fighting in the west of the coastal states. -
Farragut becomes Vice Admiral
Lincoln promoted David G. Farragut to vice admiral of the Union army. -
Congress Passes the Thirteenth Amendment
Congress passes the 13th amendment, which was to abolish slavery in the United States. -
Petersburg Battle
Last offensive for Lee's army who attacked Grant's army at Petersburg, Virginia. -
Evacuation Sunday
President Davis, his Cabinet and the Confederate defenders leave Richmond and leave on a railroad line. -
Appomattox Court House
General Lee surrenders to Union at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, marks end of the Confederacy. -
Lincoln's Assissination
President Lincoln is shot in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth, he dies on 04/15. -
President Johnson Takes Office
Vice President Andrew Johnson takes office, since Lincoln had died. -
Juneteenth
Union Major General Granger lands in Texas and tells the people of the Emancipation Proclamation, granting their freedom. -
Last Confederate General Surrenders
General Watie surrenders his army being the last Confederate General to surrender, ending the war. -
War Crimes
Major Henry Wirz is hung, who was the leader of Andersonville. -
Ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment
The 13th amendment is ratified abolishing slavery in the United States of America. -
The Liberated
The last issue of the abolitionist paper, The Liberator, is published. -
Fisk University is Established
Fish University, one of the first historically black colleges, is established in Tennessee. -
The Civil Rights act of 1866
The first federal rights act to protect African Americans, declared all people born in the United States to be citizens, "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude." -
Peace with States
The US declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. -
Purchase of Ford's Theatre
US Congress buys Ford's Theater which will soon be the Army Medical Museum, Office of the Surgeon General and War Department records. -
Tennessee's Readmission
Tennessee is the first state to be readmitted to the Union. -
New Rank of Army, Grant is First
US Congress passes legislation making the rank of General of the army(second highest rank); Lieutenant General Grant is first to have this rank. -
National Union Convention
The National Union convention is held in Philadelphia. -
Peace with Texas
US president Johnson issues a proclamation of peace with Texas. -
The War is Declared Over
President Johnson officially declares the Civil War over. -
Longest Bridge in the World
After the war ends, the North continues construction the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bride, which will be the longest single-span bridge in the world. -
Population Count
Around 38,558,371 people, about 27 million white people, and 4.5 million black people -
African-Americans Vote
African- American men are given the right to vote in the District of Columbia. -
Tenure of Office Act
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, which denies the right for the President to remove officials who were appointed with Congress's consent. -
Purchase of Alaska
The United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire by a treaty ratified by the Senate. -
Davis Released
Jefferson Davis is released from jail om bail, he moves to Canada. -
States Readmitted to the Union
Congress passes a bill readmitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Mississippi, Texas and Virginia refused to ratify the 14th amendment so they were not allowed to readmit. -
Edwin Stanton
President Johnson demands Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War, resigns. -
Midway Island
The US takes control of Midway Island. -
Congress looks into Impeaching
Congress looks into impeaching President Johnson due to his lack of effectiveness with reconstruction.