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Battle of Fort Sumter
This battle was the bombardment of Fort Sumter in South Carolina. It was the first battle of the Civil War and a Confederate victory. Nobody was killed, but Union soldiers surrendered after 34 hours. -
First Battle of Bull Run
A Confederate victory, the First Battle of Bull Run (or the First Manassas) was the first major land battle of the war. McDowell's forces (Union) attempted to suprise Confederate troops, but were unsuccessful. This is the battle where "Stonewall" Jackson earned his nickname. -
Battle of Fort Henry
Fought in Tennessee, this battle was an important Union victory. Grant advanced on the fort while it was being attacked by Navy gunboats. This combination led to the surrender of Confederate Brig. Gen. Tilghman. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was an important Union victory, as it established Ulysses S. Grant and elevated him to the rank of major general. Grant surrounded the Confederate fort and forced them to surrender. He earned the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant (U.S. Grant). -
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack
This battle was between two ironclad ships and is the most famous naval battle of the war. The Merrimack was Confederate; the Monitor was a Union ship. There was no clear winner, but it introduced new technology to naval warfare. -
Battle of New Orleans
New Orleans was the largest city in the South and was right at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Union forced managed to capture it, gaining a powerful trading location. This was considered a very important move in the war. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
A Confederate victory, the battle was an offensive move by Lee against Union general John Pope. Confederate Major General "Stonewall" Jackson captured the Union supply depot at Manassas Junction, and attacked, which resulted in a stalemate. Pope launched attacks at Jackson until Longstreet (Confederate) arrived with 25,000 men and crushed the Union army. This was the largest simultaneous mass attack of the war and caused a drop in Union morale. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. Both sides suffered massive losses and there was no clear winner. The battle was the first major battle to occur on Union soil. Northerners had more troops but failed to concentrate them. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Union major general Burnside led an attack South but was blocked by Lee's forces. Confederates acted defensively in a strongly fortified ridge. The Union crossed the Rappahannock River under heavy fire and experienced an embarrassing defeat. -
Emancipation Proclaimation
This proclaimed that all slaves in Southern states were now free. It was more of a political move by Lincoln than a move towards being more humane. It didn't free slaves in border states, which the Union actually had the power to free, and it didn't free the slaves in the South because the South had seceded. -
Seige of Atlanta
The seige lasted until September 2, when Confederates surrendered. Fighting occured in Northwestern Georgia. It was a Union victory. -
Black Codes
The Black Codes passed by the Southern states restricted freedom of African Americans. They were similar to the previous Slave Codes and kept whites above blacks. These codes infuriated Northern Republicans. -
Andrew Johnson's Presidency
Lasting until April 15, Johnson's presidency was short and unpopular. Both Democrats and Republicans hated him, although Congress was not able to impeach him. He did not win the next election. -
Surrender at Appomatox Court House
Lee's troops were severrely outnumbered and he was forced to surrender. He surrendered at the Appomatox Court House in Virginia. This event marked the ending of the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
President Lincoln was shot in the head while attending a theatre five days after Lee's surrender. His shooter was well-known actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated. -
13th Amendment
This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was one of the three Reconstruction amendments made in the time period. Although it abolished slavery, some factors like the Black Codes remained. -
14th Amendment
This amendment says that every person born in America is a US citizen and gets equal rights and protection. This also helped end slavery, although racism still persisted. Southern states were forced to ratify it before regaining representation. -
Election of 1868
Ulysses S. Grant, after being a war hero in the Civil War, won the election against Horatio Seymour. Blacks now had the right to vote, and it's not surprising that they voted for the man that helped ensure the ending of slavery. Grant only received the minority of the white vote. -
15th Amendment
This amendment gave all male citizens the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. However, women still did not have the right to vote. This act and the previous ones led to the formation of groups like the Ku Klux Klan. -
End of Reconstruction
Reconstruction started at the beginning of 1863 and lasted until March 31, 1877. Lincoln and Johnson wanted to quickly bring the South back in and return things to normal. States were divided into military districts and forced to submit until they were re-admitted.