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The Union Naval Blockade was a blockade in the exportation of cotton and importion of war materials. The South greatly depended on the exportation of cotton because they were not economically diverse. Before the war, the North had a big advantage because they had cities, more advanced technology, and were able to manufacture war materials. By preventing the importation of the materials and exportation of cotton, it gave the South a poor economy and a low chance of winning any upcoming battles. -
Fort Sumter, an island with ramparts, located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. When President Lincoln was elected, he demanded a resupply and Confederate General Beauregard bombarded the fort on April 1861. The battle lasted 34 hours and led to U.S. Major Anderson and his soldiers surrendering. The Confederate Soldiers took over the fort for 4 years. The Union tried to bombard the fort multiple times but failed. The fort was later then abonded and then restored by the U.S. military. -
The Battle of Bull Run was known as the first land battle in the Civil War. The Battle took place in Manassas Junction, Virginia. About 35,000 Union troops marched to Washington D.C. to fight against 20,000 Confederate troops along a small river. The Union fought mainly on defense which led to the Confederate winning. -
The Trent affair was a crisis between Great Britain and the United States in November 1861. It started with the the order of arrest on two Confederate envoys, John Slidell and James Mason, sailing to Europe to seek for support in the South. Great Britain did not pick sides, were outraged, and demanded seizure on the boats since it violated international laws. They ended up being released and this started an armed conflict with Britain. -
The Battle of Shiloh started of with the Confederate Army's surprise attack on the Union under General Ulysses S. Grant in Tennessee. Although the Confederate started off strong, they were set back which resulted in a Union victory. Both the sides had a total of 23,000 casualties which was an unbelievable amount of violence and destruction left over. -
Battle of Antietam, located in Maryland’s Antietam Creek, was one of the most bloodiest battles in American history. General Robert E. Lee invaded the Northern states. He guided his men through Virginia until he decided to split half his men to capture the Union. Major General George B. McClellan was in charge of the Union under Lincolns command to protect Washington D.C. On September 16, they gathered on either side of Antietam's Creeks and fought on the 17th. The Union claimed their victory. -
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that stated by January 1, 1863 all slaves in the United States that are rebelled against the Union shall be forever free. Although, this document only applied to people in the Confederacy and who were inside the borders. The Emancipation Proclamation shaped the Civil War from preserving the Union, to freeing the slaves. It had a big impact on many enslaved people and was a symbol to the path of freedom. -
Robert E. Lee’s Army begins with a number of attacks on the North. General Ambrose Burnside, the leader of the Union, marched to Fredericksburg and planned to cross the river and continue South. Due to a miscommunication in the orders, a platoon bridge was placed which allowed Lee to move his troops above Fredericksburg and remained protected against a wall. The Union decided to attack anyways which led to many soldiers freezing and not being able to attack the Confederates due to the wall. -
The Vicksburg Campaign was a series of battles that gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, which was a critical supply. Before the Vicksburg Campaign, the Union have won the Battle of Gettysburg which marked a bug turning point for the Union in the Civil War. This campaign lasted a total of 47 days. The Vicksburg Campaign was a part of the Union's Anaconda Plan. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a great victory for the Confederacy, which ended up severely wounding Confederate General Thomas Jackson. General Ambrose Burnside was replaced with General Joseph Hooker and spent all spring preparing for their next battle. Hooker's goal was to win the upcoming battle and capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Hooker's soldier almost doubled Jackson's soldiers. The Union was on a defensive side and ended up losing the battle but killing Jackson -
The Battle of Gettysburg lasted 3 days. General Robert E. Lee marched his soldiers to Pennsylvania in late June. They unexpectedly clashed with the Union army and began to fight in Gettysburg. On the third day, Lee ordered an attack in Cemetery Ridge, also known as "Pickett's Charge". This assault failed and costed many casualties. The Union ended up winning this war. -
The Gettysburg Address was a speech that cited the principles of human equality in the Declaration of Independence and highlighted the idea that the Civil War was a "new birth to freedom". This speech was made in the National Cemetery of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania for a ceremony. This speech is one of the most famous speeches given because it explained the challenges they went through at the time. -
Four years into the war, Abraham Lincoln started looking for a perfect person to place his faith in to fight the enemy. Ulysses S. Grant was a General who took over Fort Donelson, Vicksburg and Chattanooga. As commander, he immediately started to think of a plan to capture Lee's army and their capital. The Overland Campaign was a three part attack in Virginia. Grant knew that he had an advantage due to the number of soldiers and believed his plan would work. -
The Sherman’s March to the Sea was a plan to threaten the people of Georgia into leaving and abandoning the Confederates. There was some violence and damage caused but they mainly took livestock and food. For the people who fought back, their houses and barns were burned. This march lasted from November to December. Their goal was accomplished when they captured the capital, Atlanta. -
The Appomattox Campaign is a series of battles fought in Virginia for the abandonment of the Confederates. The Confederates marched West in hopes of resupplying and reuniting his army. The Union army kept fighting, blocked their paths, and cut off their resupply. On April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. -
Lee surrenders his army of 28,000 soldiers in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. They two generals met up at one o'clock in the afternoon to finalize the surrender. This was the end of a five year war. Lee was forced to surrender and abandon the Confederate capital. Lee's surrendering followed with years worth of harassment and was forever blocked from joining the surviving Confederate soldiers.