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Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad
Harriet Tubman was a slave who escaped and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad so she could bring slaves to freedom before the Civil War. She was wanted all over. She became a nurse, a Union spy, and a women's suffrage supporter. She is one of the most recognized icons in American history. She's inspired so many people all over. -
The Kansas Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas proposed bill to organize the territory of Nebraska which was Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas. The bill raised the possibility that slavery could be extended into territories where it once was banned. -
John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown lead a small group on a raid against the federal armory on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. They tried to start an armed revolt of enslaved people and to destroy the institution of slavery. -
Election of 1860
This election was one of the most pivotal presidential elections. It was Abraham Lincoln against Stephen Douglas, and John Bell. The main issue was slavery and states rights. Lincoln then became the 16th President during the Civil War. -
Confederate States of America is formed
There were 11 states that were part of the Confederate States that seceded from the United States in 1860 following the election of Abraham Lincoln. The Confederate States was led by Jefferson Davis and they struggled for legitimacy and was never recognized as a sovereign nation. After their defeat in the Civil War, the Confederate States of America was no more. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is an island in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It was most famous for being the site of the first shots in the Civil War. When Abraham Lincoln announced to resupply the fort, General P.G.T. Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter, kicking off the Battle of Fort Sumter. -
Civil War Begins
The Civil War began in Fort Sumter when General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on South Carolina's Charleston Harbor in early 1861. The next day, U.S. Major Robert Anderson surrendered. Two days after that, Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation calling 75,000 volunteer soldiers to stop the Southern insurrection. -
Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run, also called the Battle of Manassas, was the first major land battle of the Civil War. The Union and Confederate armies clashed near Manassas Junction in Virginia. After along day of fighting, the rebels rallied and were able to break the Union right side, which sent the Federals into a chaotic retreat towards Washington state. The Confederate victory gave the South a boost of confidence and shocked the North. -
Jefferson Davis elected
Jefferson Davis is elected Confederate president. He ran without any opposition, and the election confirmed it that it had been made by the Confederate Congress earlier that year. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in states engaged in rebellion against the Union, "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." He didn't free all of the slaves in the U.S. when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It only applied to enslaved people in the Confederacy, not those in border states that were loyal to the Union. -
Gettysburg Battle
This battle is considered the most important of the Civil War. After the Union's victory at Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee took his army of Northern Virginia to Pennsylvania in late June. On the first of July, the Confederates fought with the Union's army at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The next day was heavier fighting. The Confederates attacked the Federals on the left and right. On the 3rd, after more fighting, Robert E. Lee was forced to withdraw his army toward Virginia on July 4th. -
Sherman’s March to the Sea
William T. Sherman led about 60,000 soldiers to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this March to Sea was to scare Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. They didn't destroy any towns in their path but, they stole food, livestock, burned houses and barns of who tried to fight back. -
Ulysses S. Grant Appomattox Court House
The Battle of Appomattox Court House was fought in Virginia. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant. A couple days earlier, Robert E. Lee abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond and Petersburg. He wanted to rally the remnants of his beleaguered troops, meet Confederate reinforcements in North Carolina and keep fighting. But, the end of the Battle of Appomattox Court House brought the long Civil War to an end. -
Abraham Lincoln Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. and John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and a confederate sympathizer, came and assassinated him. It was only 5 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, ending the Civil War. -
13th amendment
The 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865 after the Civil War. This Amendment abolished slaver in the United States. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” -
14th amendment
The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868. It granted citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the United States “equal protection of the laws.” -
15th amendment
The 15th Amendment gave African American men after the Civil war the ability to vote. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."