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Haper's Ferry
John Brown siezed a Feral arsenal in Virginia and tried to create a slave uprising. However he failed and instead convinced the South that succession was the only way to preserve their way of life. -
Lincoln's first election
Lincoln won the presidency. This futher convinced the South that succesion was their only option. -
South Secedes
This was the day south Carolina, the first state to secede, seceded. Mississippi, Flordia, Alabama, Georgia, Louisianna, and Texas had all seceded by Febuary 1861. -
Confederate States of America Established
The Confederate States where created from the states that secceded. Union had a weak and confused responce. -
Writ of Habeas Corpus suspended
Licoln suspened the right of Habeas Corpus. He did this inorder to prevent dissent by either the Democratic Party or enimies in the border states. -
1st Battle of Bull Run
The first major battle of the civil war. Confederate victory that dispelled any illusions that this would be a short war. -
First Income Tax
The Union created the first income tax in American History. This was to help the Union pay for the civil. This only raised a small amount of the money needed for the war. -
1st Confiscation Act
This was a law that declared all slaves who were being used by the Confederate military were free. It was the first major piece of Emancipation legislation. -
Trent Affair
The Union ship the San Jacinto stopped a Brittish ship and detained two Confederate diplomats. Lincon waited until American public opionion cooled down and then realised the captured diplomats. -
Capture of New Orleans
The city of New Orleans fell to Union forces. This was one of the first major Union victories. This cut the Confederates access to the gulf of Mexico and gave Union control of mor of the Mississippi river. -
Homesteas/ Morrill Land Grant Acts
Gave public land to state governments which were to be sold for edjucational expansion. Any citizen could claim 160 acers of public land and purchase it for a small fee after 5 years -
2nd Confiscation Act
This was the second major piece of Emancipation Legislature, it was the legal ground work for the Emancipation Proclomation. This law freed all the slaves of anyone who aided or supported the Confederacy. -
Antiemtam
This was the bloodiest battle in American History. Had the Union pursued Lee's army they may have been able to crush it, in short it was a wasted oppertunity. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This freed all of the slaves who where in the Confederacy. It was largly symbolic at the time because the Union had not yet reconquored the Confederacy. -
National Draft Law Instated
This was a law that allowed the Union to conscript men into its army. The confederacy also drafted men into its forces. -
Vicksburg
The town of Vicksburg fell to general Grants army. This achived on of the Unions primary goals of taking control of the Mississippi River. -
13th Amendment
This ammendment outlawed slavery in all parts of the country. It was still legal to use prisioners for involuntary cervititude. -
Capture of Atlanta
General Shermin captured Atlanta Georgia. This destroid the Confederate armies in the Lower South. -
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Shermans March to the Sea
Sherman marched from Atlanta Georgia to Savanah. He lived off the land and destroyed everything he could not use. He later continued into North Carolina. -
Lincoln Reelection
Lincon won reelection to the presidency. This was close in the beginging but once Lincoln won a few battles he had popular opinion. -
CApture of Richmond
The capitol of the Confederacy fell to Union forces. This was one of the greatest signs that the Confederacy had fallen. -
Surrender at Appomattox
Lee surendered his army to Grant. The majority of Confederate forces had surendered to the Union. The war was nearly over. -
Assasination of Lincoln
Lincoln was killed at Fords theature by JOhn Wilts Booth. This would greatly change the course of reconstruction.