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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was later published in book form in the year 1852, addressed the harsh life of the fictional character Uncle Tom. Uncle Tom’s Cabin’s main intention was to persuade people to help end slavery. The book itself had been a hit within the United States, so much so that it had gotten the attention of President Abraham Lincoln. Thankfully for Stowe, Abraham Lincoln had made her dream come true and slavery had been quickly abolished. -
Southern States' Secession
Two months prior to Lincoln’s inauguration, many states were up and arms about the possibility of future slave ownership. With Lincoln coming into presidency, that concept was being challenged. In an act of desperation, South Carolina had seceded from the Union on January 9, 1861. Along with South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had all chosen to secede, thus ultimately forming the first wave of the Confederacy. -
Lincoln's Inauguration
Former President, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on the day of March 4, 1861. His inauguration not only marked the 16th president of the United States, but to many, it marked the beginning of the Civil War. Prior to his inauguration, a tension had been building up, and the condition of the country was worsening. After Lincoln’s election, seven states had left the Union. Little by little, events started to unfold, and that looming threat so far off in the distance was getting closer and closer. -
Fort Sumter
On April 11, 1861, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard attacked Fort Sumter. The battle raged on for a long lasting 34-hours, and resulted in the 86 Union troops tending the base to surrender. Surprisingly, for such a long fight, nobody had died. Lastly, this fight would mark the beginning of the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The first battle of Bull Run took place on July 16, 1861, under the command of General Irvin Mc. Donnell representing the North. Leading the Confederates was P. G. T. Beauregard. Previous to this battle, no fighting during the Civil War had occurred on such a large scale. Furthermore, the Confederates’ win over the North had in-turn fueled the hopes of the Southerners, and would lead many more to join the war. -
Fort Henry
On February 6, 1862, General Grant initiated an attack on Fort Henry. After long fighting between the Union and the Confederates, the South had surrendered. The battle was not over however, during the fight, the South commanding leader had evacuated the rest of his troops into Fort Donelson. When that fort eventually fell 10 days later, it had been official, the battle of Fort Henry had been won by the North. -
Battle of the Ironclads
The Battle of the Ironclads took place on March 9, 1862, and was also considered one of the most bizarre of the Civil War battles. Unlike other battles, this battle took place on top of ironclad ships in Virginia. Going into this, the confederates were hoping to break the Northerner’s blockade over some of their southern ports. Undramatically however, the battle had ended without a victor. -
Battle of Shiloh
In Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, took place the battle of Shiloh on the day of April 6-7, 1862. The battle itself had come as a shocking surprise to the Union side, yet they still managed to win the battle despite the disadvantages. The main leaders of the battle of Shiloh was Ulysses S. Grant representing the North, and on the opposing side, Albert Sidney Johnston, who was later swapped out with Beauregard after he had been shot to death. -
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles had lasted from June 25-July 1, 1862, and true to its name, it had lasted a long seven days. The events itself had taken place around Richmond, Virginia. As to the reasoning behind such a bloody battle, it had been an attempt of the Union General, George B. McClellan, to capture the South capitol, Richmond. Unfortunately for the North, the South had won the war in an act of defense. -
Antietam
On the day of September 17, 1862, General George McClellan led a battle against the common victor, Robert E. Lee. After a long two day battle, McClellan and Lee had ended the attack in a tie, but the later retreat of Lee, leads many historians to consider the war as a Union victory. Sadly however, the battle had resulted in a large number of 22,717 casualties. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
With a span of five days, the battle of Fredericksburg took place from December 11-15, 1862. The battle had marked a confederate victory, and had been led by the brilliant, but controversial, Robert E. Lee. The battle itself had mainly taken place on top of a bridge next to Fredericksburg. Lastly, the final attacks were that of the South, and in doing so they were able to successfully cross the bridge, and claim another victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was finally declared on the day of January 1, 1863. Lincoln ruled that all slaves within the Confederate states had been freed. Oddly enough however, the many slaves within the Union borders had still been held as slaves, but the Confederate ones not. This action had set into play many more legal documents that would officially free all slaves, and it also proved to aggravate the South even more than before. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
A battle recognized as Robert E. Lee’s best, the battle of Chancellorsville lasted from April 30-May 6, 1863. During the battle, Lee’s main key to his success was his division of his men. Unlike many other Civil War leaders, Lee wasn’t afraid to be risky and bold. He would constantly make risky maneuvers to defeat the Union. These maneuvers against Joseph Hooker eventually led to him winning the battle. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Perhaps the longest battle within the Civil War, the battle of Vicksburg lasted from May 18-July 4, 1863. Over the 47 day battle, both the Union and the South had run into ups and downs trying to defeat one another. The battle got so desperate in-fact, that at one point, hand to hand combat became a norm within the battle. Thankfully however, the North was able to win; and their victory was rewarded with a large plot of land that would later be used in taking down the South. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1, 1863, and marked a great shift in the war for the North. This historic battle was started by the southern general, Robert E. Lee, and rampaged on until July 3, where the Union had secured their much needed win. Unfortunately, the North’s win wasn’t celebrated with partying, but instead celebrated with great sorrow from the troops. Nearly 51,000 people had died during the horrific battle, leaving many families in despair. -
Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln stepped on the podium to deliver the Gettysburg Address to a crowd of nearly 15,000 people. In Lincoln’s speech he explained that the events that unfolded during the remainder of the Civil War would be a test to prove the survival of the Union. As for the deaths at Gettysburg, they were sacrifices made to keep the Union as one, but this could only be accomplished with the help of the people. -
Battle of Appomattox
The battle of Appomattox took place during April 9, 1865, and resulted in a Union victory. Unbeknownst to Robert E. Lee, he and his men were being pursued, and thus began one of the final battles of the war. Fortunately, the North was in-fact able to capture Lee, and this led to his later surrendering. -
Appomattox Surrender
Lee’s official surrendering of the war took place at the McLean House, where him and Ulysses S. Grant would discuss giving up the war. All of this took place hours after the Appomattox battle on April 9, 1865. The surrendering of Lee and his men would ultimately lead to the surrendering of Virginia, and many more states to follow. -
Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln had died from a gunshot to the back of his head. Leading up to this event, General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the McLean House. The war was nearing its end, and it wasn’t looking good for the South. Looking for a way to keep the South on top, John Wilkes Booth devised a plan to kill the president. His intentions were to kill him and then throw the North into chaos. With one shot, Wilkes Booth had assassinated the president. -
13th Amendment Ratified
Tying the war neatly together, an amendment had been ratified freeing millions of slaves within the United States. This amendment was passed on December 6, 1865 where it still remains today within our constitution. As to who signed the amendment, credit goes to the then deceased president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s time as president brought and underwent mass change, and almost all for the better.
