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Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a novel published in March 20, 1852. The author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, brought light to slavery. This book is very important as it influenced so many people that a lot of people believe it is the most influential novel ever written by an American author.
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The first battle of the Civil War was fought in Fort Sumter. This was also when the first shots were fired. It started on April 12, 1861 and ended on April 13, 1861. General P.G.T Beauregard bombed Fort Sumter which led to a 34 hour battle. The Confederates ended up winning this battle and Anderson and his army surrendered.
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The First Battle of Bull Run was an important event in the Civil War as it was the first major battle. This took place on July 12, 1861. However, as it was an early battle both armies faced some problems. For the Union, they were too young to understand war. For the Confederates, they had problems communicating. However, the Confederates ended up pulling through and winning the battle despite having less soldiers than the Union.
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The Battle of Belmont, Missouri began on November 7, 1861. The Union General, Ulysses S. Grant, and his forces overran a Confederate Camp. It succeeded until more Confederate troops appeared at the camp. The Union had to flee as they would not be able to win this fight. The Union believed that they won this battle, however nothing changed, which is why many people consider it a draw.
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With the help of their general, Ulysses S. Grant, the Union Army was able to secure Fort Donelson. Although it might not seem like much, it is remembered as the Union’s first major victory. It also allowed the Union Army to travel to Northern Alabama. This event occurred between February 14 to 15, 1862.
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This battle is different from others because this battle involved ships. On March 8-9, 1862, two ironclad ships, one Union, and one Confederate, attacked each other. Even though there was no clear outcome, this was revolutionary because of their discovery of using iron instead of wood for studier and better boats.
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The Battle of Shiloh began on April 6,1862 and ended on April 7, 1862. The Confederate Army decided to surprise the Union Army by attacking them in Tennessee. This was led by General Ulysses S. Grant. This strategy worked really well as the Union won this battle even though many men were lost in the process.
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The Battle of New Orleans was another win for the Union. The Union was able to take control of the largest city in the Confederacy. It had other useful uses too, like being a major port. David G. Farragut led the Union in this attack. Even though the bombing of Fort Jackson and St. Philip both failed, it was still an important win. This occurred on April 24, 1862.
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The Seven Days Battle was an event where six important battles happened between June 25, 1862 and July 1, 1862. These battles were mostly located near the capital of Virginia. The Confederate Army and General tried to capture the Union Army and their General, but it failed as they escaped. However, the Confederate still won this battle.
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The Battle of Gaines’ Mill began on June 27, 1862 in Virginia. Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his army decided to attacked the right flank of the Union Army. However, the Union Army had a strong defensive line already prepared. But, Robert E. Lee did not give up easily. He brought 57,000 men to help him win this battle. The Union stood strong, but eventually the Confederates broke the Union line which led to the Confederate victory.
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The Second Battle of Bull Run occurred between August 29 to August 30, 1862. The Generals in this battle were General Robert E. Lee (Confederate) and Major General John Pope (Union). There was roughly around 125,000 soldiers on the battlefield. The Confederates won this battle. This is significant because this is one of the few times the Confederates played offense.
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On September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam took place at the Antietam Creek. This battle only lasted a day, but it was one of the bloodiest battles in history. This was another attempt of General Robert E. Lee and his army trying to invade the north. Luckily, Union General George McClellan and his army would be able to stop them. This battle ended up being a draw.
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During December 11-15 1862, there was a raging battle in northern Virginia. The Union Commander, General Ambrose Burnside, and his army fought against the Confederate commander, General Robert E. Lee and his army. The Union built bridges to reach the city of Fredericksburg. Once they crossed the bridges, they attacked the Confederates using all their strength. However, the Confederates were very well prepared which led the Confederates to win this battle.
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The Battle of Chancellorsville took place on April 30th to May 6th, 1863. The Union General created a plan to let some of his army attack from the front while the other part secretly attacked from the side. Not only did he have a promising plan, he also had twice the amount of soldiers the Confederates had. However, the Confederates quickly recovered and split their army so they could attack from the front and the side. After many horrible days of fighting, the Confederates ended up victorious.
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On May 18, 1863, the Siege of Vicksburg began. This would be a long battle that lasted all the way until July 4, 1863. During the battle, the Union Army took control of Vicksburg, Mississippi by surrounding it for a long period of time. This led to a Union victory. The Union commander was General Ulysses S. Grant, while the Confederate commander was General John Pemberton.
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The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863 and ended on July 3, 1863. Confederate General Robert E. Lee attempted to invade the North and tried to forcibly make the Union surrender. However, this failed as the Union crossed the Confederates which led to a fight at Gettysburg. This was an extremely bloody battle, but the Union won this battle.
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The Battle of Spotsylvania began on May 8 and ended on May 19, 1864. The main commander of the Union Army was General Ulysses S. Grant. The main commander of the Confederate Army was General Robert E. Lee. The Union decided to launch a major attack on the Confederates. Even though the Confederates were extremely outnumbered, they managed to hold off for a long time. After other failed attacks, the Union moved further south which meant that no one was victorious in this battle.
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Sherman’s March to the Sea was a major victory to the Union. Sherman obtained control over Atlanta and a major sea port. This march started at November 15, 1864. Sherman also destroyed the Confederates even further by hurting their economy.
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The Appomattox Court House played an very important role in the Civil War. It is the place where the Army of Northern Virginia finally surrendered on April 9, 1865, concluding the United States’ biggest war yet. This is now a historical park as it will forever be a reminder of the freedom of slaves.
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On April 14, 1865, a man named John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln while he was watching a play called Our American Cousin. However, he did not die until April 15, 1865. John Wilkes Booth ended up getting caught with his two other partners Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt. The conspirators were hanged and Lincoln was avenged.
