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Presidential Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln (R) won the election over John C. Breckinridge (D). Southerners were angered by the election of republican Abraham Lincoln as he was opposed to the expansion of slavery and this furthered tensions that led to the civil war. -
South Carolina secedes from Union
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union because of the increasing non-slavery states would impede the rights for southern states to keep slaves. -
Forming of Confederate States of America
The confederate states of america were formed by 11 states that seceded the union because of Abraham Lincoln ending slavery expansion. -
Jefferson Davis appointed president of Confederacy
The appointment of Jefferson Davis to President of the confederacy established the confederacy as an official state. -
Lincoln’s first inaugural address
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Battle of Fort Sumter
The bombardment of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina by the Confederate States Army, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the United States Army, that started the American Civil War -
Sacking of Lawrence, Kansas by Confederates
Also known as "Quantrill's raid" and it was an attack during the American Civil War (1861–65) by the Quantrill's Raiders, a Confederate guerilla group led by William Quantrill, on the Unionist town of Lawrence, Kansas. -
(First) Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
The battle began when about 35,000 Union troops marched from the federal capital in Washington, D.C. to strike a Confederate force of 20,000 along a small river known as Bull Run. The Confederate victory gave the South a surge of confidence and shocked many in the North, who realized the war would not be won as easily as they had hoped. -
First battle of ironclads
This battle was major because it was the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships.It was an attempt to force the Confederacy into submission by blockading its ports. The point was to deny the South access to supplies and to shut down its export of cotton to England. -
Battle of Shiloh
Also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. Was one of the major early engagements of the American Civil War.The battle began when the Confederates launched a surprise attack on Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant in Tennessee. The confederates were unable to gold their positions and forced back leading to a union victory. -
Siege of New Orleans by Union
Naval action by Union forces seeking to capture the city during the American Civil War. The permanent loss of New Orleans was considered one of the worst disasters suffered by the Confederacy in the western theatre of the war. -
(Second) Battle of Bull Run
It was much larger in scale and in the number of casualties than the First Battle of Bull Run. Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided to strike first. After the rest of Lee’s army arrived, 28,000 rebels led by James Longstreet launched a counterattack, forcing Pope to withdraw his battered army toward Washington that night. This resulted in a confederate victory. -
Battle of Antietam
It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia against Union General George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac and was the culmination of Lee’s attempt to invade the north. The battle’s outcome would be vital to shaping America’s future, and it remains the deadliest one-day battle in all American military history. The battle resulted in union victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
A presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln. It was about freeing slaves in all portions of the United States in the confederate states. Freedom would only come if the union won the war. -
54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry in combat
This was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The unit was the first African-American regiment organized in the northern states during the Civil War. -
Battle of Vicksburg (siege)
Ulysses S. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. The Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies. This resulted in a union victory. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania to begin the battle. -
Gettysburg Address
The gettysburg address was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln. The address would always be remembered as one of the most important speeches in American history. In it, he discussed the principles of human equality contained in the Declaration of Independence and connected the sacrifices of the Civil War with the desire for “a new birth of freedom,” as well as the all-important preservation of the Union created in 1776 and its ideal of self-government. -
Draft Riots begin in New York City
Were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of working-class discontent with new laws passed by Congress that year to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. -
First Successful Submarine Attack of the Civil War
H. L. Hunley, often referred to as Hunley, was a submarine of the Confederate States of America that played a small part in the American Civil War. Hunley demonstrated the advantages and the dangers of undersea warfare. This submarine was a very big move and helped tehm during war because nobody expected it. -
Battle of the wilderness Virginia
The Battle of the Wilderness marked the first stage of a major Union offensive toward the Confederate capital of Richmond. As the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River on May 4, Confederate General Robert E. Lee determined that his Army of Northern Virginia would confront the enemy in the dense Virginia woods known as the Wilderness. -
Fall of Atlanta, Georgia
William T. Sherman, wanting to neutralize the important rail and supply hub, defeated Confederate forces defending the city under John B. Hood. After ordering the evacuation of the city, Sherman burned most of the buildings in the city, military or not. Then headed south toward the sea. This battle is also known for its political importance, The victory greatly increased northern morale and is credited for aiding the reelection of Abraham Lincoln over George McClellan. -
Lincoln wins a second term
Despite progress in the war, Lincoln and most people were convinced that he would lose his bid for reelection in 1864. The country was war weary and the Democratic Party's nominee, George McClellan, was likely to negotiate a peace treaty with the Confederacy if elected. Despite doubts within the Party, Lincoln won the Republican nomination. -
Sherman's Army of Georgia arrives at Savannah, Georgia
Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah Campaign) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia. -
Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina
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Lincoln’s 2nd inaugural address
The speech contained neither gloating nor rejoicing. Rather, it offered Lincoln's most profound reflections on the causes and meaning of the war. The "scourge of war," he explained, was best understood as divine punishment for the sin of slavery, a sin in which all Americans, North as well as South, were complicit. -
Sherman’s troops occupy Fayetteville, NC
Sherman marched through fayettville only for 4 days. During that time, the Federals destroyed the former U.S. Arsenal. Sherman also plotted the final stage of his march to Goldsboro. -
Battle of Appomattox Courthouse (Lee surrenders)
Near the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. -
Lincoln assassinated
Lincoln assassinated was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.
