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Uncle Tom's Cabin is a story written by Harriet Beecher Stowe about slavery. It was published in March of 1852. Abraham Lincoln claims that this story is responsible for the start of the war. -
In February of 1861, the Southern states seceded from the Union and created the Confederate States of America. They were installing Jefferson Davis as president -
After the election of Abraham Lincoln, southern states began to secede in 1860. In response, the Lincoln Administration chose to resupply Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the first state to secede. South Carolina citizens would declare war with any attempt to supply the fort. On April 12th, 1861, the Confederates opened fire upon the fort. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union troops surrendered, and Fort Sumter laid in shambles. -
In July of 1861, the first major land battle of the Civil War took place: The Battle of Bull Run. After only two hours of fighting, the Union was forced to retreat. As they ran away, they let out screams that were later to be known as the Rebel Yell. -
Abraham Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862. He wrote that all Confederate slaves would be freed. This was put into action when the Union won the war. -
The battle of Hampton Road was a significant one because it was the first to introduce Ironclad Warships. This battle was between the U.S.S. Monitor and the U.S.S. Virginia. The battle ended in a stalemate because the Ironclads were so strong, cannonballs could not do damage to the ships. -
The Confederate Army had attacked the Union, forcing them to retreat to Shiloh. The following day, the Union launched an attack, and with the Confederates outnumbered and weak, the Union had won the battle. This victory had also allowed for the Union to reclaim land overtaken with Confederates. -
President Abraham Lincoln had prepared the Emancipation Proclamation but hadn't found the right time to use it. The Union needed a victory. The opportunity came in September of 1862 when the battle of Antietam began. By the end of the battle, there were over 20,000 casualties, with the death count over 3500. When the battle ended, Lincoln could finally release his famous speech. -
In December 1862, the Union sent the largest number of troops in any battle for the rest of the war to try and assault the Confederates. They crossed the Rappahannock River in Virginia. The Union lost this battle, and in the north, President Lincoln and the Union Army were receiving criticism, -
This was the most significant battle for General Robert E. Lee. He devised a plan to split up the Confederate army and flank the Union. He sent out his right-hand man, "Stonewall" Jackson. Unfortunately for the Confederates, Jackson was shot by a confused Confederate troop while returning to camp. -
In June of 1863, Ulysses S. Grant had a goal to capture Vicksburg, a town in Mississippi. Grant had planted mines underground near the city. The first mine exploded on June 25th, which resulted in an assault by the Union. In the end, it was a successful siege for the Union, and Grant had divided the confederates. -
In July of 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee moved his troops to capture Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Following defeat in the battle of Chancellorsville, Lee hoped this would pressure the Union to negotiate for peace. The battle lasted for three days, starting on July 1st, and ending on July 3rd. After the fighting, Lee was once again defeated, and there were over 51,000 casualties from both sides. -
Appomattox, a small town in Virginia, was where we finally saw the end to the Civil War. After losing the Confederate Capital of Richmond, General Lee planned to regroup with troops in North Carolina. A small fight occurred, but afterward, Lee reached out to Ulysses S. Grant for the terms of surrender. They agreed to terms, and after few small rebellions were stopped, the Civil War had finally been won. -
In April of 1865, President Abraham Lincoln had gone to see a play with his wife at Ford's Theater. While he was watching, Famous actor John Wilkes Booth snuck up to Lincoln's section and fired a bullet into the back of his head. Lincoln was carried to a home across the street and died the next day. -
After murdering President Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth fled the city into Maryland. After 12 days in hiding, he was discovered hiding in a barn. He was shot and killed, and his accomplices were later hung.
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In 1869, former Union General Ulysses S. Grant was elected as the 18th President of the United States. He was also elected for a second term in the following election