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Lincoln is elected running against a split democratic party. He beat Breckenridge, Bell, and Douglas to become the first Republican president.
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South Carolina was the first to secede and was followed quickly by others. William Gist, the states governor, planned to secede if Lincoln was elected.
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The Confederacy signed their constitution a week after Lincoln became president. At the time only seven states had seceded but nine joined the Confederacy.
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The Confederate Army bombarded Anderson's small union army in Charleston, South Carolina.
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Three days after the attack on Fort Sumter Lincoln made a proclamation to the state militias to put down the rebellion. He also asked congress to gather to discuss a draft.
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The first land battle of the war, the rebels began on the defensive but eventually broke the lines. Beauregard and Shenandoah's Confederate armies attacked McDowell's Union army.
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Grant captured fort Henry and then attacked Commander Floyd eventually winning Fort Donelson as well.
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Buchanan leading a few Confederate ships battled the Union's Monitor. Neither side prevailed but naval warfare became much pore prevalent after this point.
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Confederate leader Johnston lead a surprise attack on Grant leading to 13,000 Union deaths and 10,000 Confederate.
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A major turning point in the war in which Union forces were unopposed while capturing New Orleans.
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Lee, a Confederate general, drove Union forces away from the Confederate capital Richmond.
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A battle between Lee and McClellan which was the first to take place inside Union territory. The battle stops Lee's invasion and he retreats.
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General Burnside suffers large Union defeat resulting in 13,000 casualties.
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Lincoln states that in all rebellious states slavery is illegal and if the North wins, slavery will be illegal. The war is now directly over slavery.
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Congress passes Civil War Conscription Act which was the first draft in American History.
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Lee defeats the Union army led by Hooker, suffering 13,000 casualties to the Union's 17,000
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General Meade defeats Lee's army in the deepest battle into the Union's territory and is the final turning point of the war.
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Grant takes Vicksburg after a long siege. The Union now controls the Mississippi river cutting the Confederacy in half.
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Lincoln defeats the ex general McClellan by a large margin and is reelected.
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Lee surrenders to Grant after retreating for days ending the civil war.
