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Republican Party is Formed
The Republican Party was formed on March 20, 1854. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
The Kansas-Nebraska Act pronounced the Missouri Compromise null and void, instead saying that the new territories could vote for what they want. It was unsuccessful, with pro and anti-slavery people flooding into the territories to sway the votes. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected for President
Abraham Lincoln won the vote against John C. Breckinridge. He won with his idea to let the states that already had slavery continue having slavery, but new states would be free states. It is part of what starts the Civil War. -
South Carolina Votes to Secede from the Union
South Carolina secedes from the Union on December 20, 1860. -
Jefferson Davis Elected Confederacy President
Jefferson Davis was elected to be the president of the Confederacy of the United States on February 18, 1861. -
Confederate Forces Fire on Fort Sumter
On April 12, 1861, the Confederacy fired at Fort Sumter. They fired because Abraham Lincoln announced that they were going to resupply the fort. The Confederacy won and captured Fort Sumter. -
Robert E. Lee Named Commander of North Virginia Army
Robert E. Lee was a skilled tactician and became commander of the Northern Virginia Army on May 14, 1861. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was fought on July 21, 1861. It was the first battle of the Civil War and was won by the Confederacy. -
Merrimack and Monitor Fight on Virginia Coast
The Merrimack and the Monitor were both ships that fired cannonballs at each other for hours on March 8, 1862. The fight was inconclusive, neither party defeating the other. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a Union victory on April 6, 1862. It had the highest death toll of any war in North America up to that date. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was fought in Washington County, Maryland. It was fought on September 17, 1862. The Union won the bloodiest battle in the Civil War, as well as the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. It showed that the Union could stand against the Confederacy. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11-15, 1862. It was won by the Confederacy with many Union casualties, boosting the Confederacy's hope for winning the war. -
Emancipation Proclomation Announced
Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that all slaves "are, and henceforward shall be free". -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a huge victory for the Confederacy, the battle taking almost a week and mortally wounding Stonewall Jackson. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg occurred from July 1-3, 1863 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 3,100 people died, and the Union won. It crushed the Confederacy's hope to win the war because they were insanely outnumbered. -
Confederates Surrender at Vicksburg
The Confederacy suffered many casualties, so General John C. Pemberton surrendered on July 4, 1863. -
NYC Draft Riots
New Yorkers rioted against new drafting laws. -
Lincoln Suspends Habeas Corpus
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus on September 15, 1863. -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. It stressed the importance to keep the Union preserved. He went back to the Declaration of Independence, quoting "all men are created equal". -
Atlanta Captured
The Union wanted to capture Atlanta because it was the center of many supply ports for the Confederacy. -
Abraham Lincon wins Reelection Against George McClellan
Abraham Lincoln wins reelection against George McClellan on November 8, 1864. His reelection secured the continuation to abolish slavery. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea was a campaign to end the Union's operations in Georgia. -
Congress Passes 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment passed on January 31, 1865. -
Freedmen’s Bureau is Created
The Freedmen's Bureau was created to assist the new anti-slavery laws after the Civil War. -
Lincoln Gives his Second Inaugural Address
Abraham Lincoln took office for the second time on March 4, 1865. His inaugural address highlighted how he planned to reunite the nation. -
Richmond Falls to Union Forces
The Union captured Richmond on April 2, 1865. -
Richmond Becomes the Capital of the Confederacy
Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy on April 3, 1865. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, because the Confederate army was stretched too thin to beat the Union. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 25, 1865 while watching a play. -
John Wilkes Booth Killed
John Wilkes Booth was killed on April 26, 1865. He was shot by Boston Corbett, an American soldier (possibly after/during a barn fire? Sources disagree).