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On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the federal Union. The outcome of Abraham Lincoln winning the 1860 presidential election triggered cries among the angry slave holding states in the South. The South hit their turning point and when this event happened, South Carolina finally decided it was time to secede from the Union. -
Prior to president Lincolns inaugural address, he did not have the support from the southern states. During his speech he reassures the South that even though he is a Republican, that he has no intentions of taking away their slaves or ending the Fugitive Slave Act. He also talks about the power that the Constitution holds and how it binds all of our states together. -
The attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, marked the beginning of the Civil War. There were 580 forces involved in the battle. 500 Confederate forces and 80 Union forces. After the Confederates fired non-stop, Union forces surrender Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. -
The habeas corpus is "a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention." Abraham Lincoln suspended this to give military authorities the necessary power to silence and act on rebels and dissenters. -
The Confederate capital was Atlanta Georgia but on May 8, 1861, it was decide that Richmond Virginia would be the new capital of the Confederacy. -
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War and it was fought on July 21, 1861. Near Manassas Junction, Virginia. Union and Confederate Armies battled but once the Confederates attacked the Union Army the Federals retrieved towards Washington DC. The Confederate victory gave hope to many people in the South and it also made the North realize that this war was not going to be won easily. -
On November 6, 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America. Davis was previously a U.S. senator from Mississippi. When Mississippi seceded from the union, he became a confederate man. -
The Merrimack and the Monitor fight of the Virginia coast was a naval engagement at Hampton Roads, Virginia in the Civil War. This battle began a new era of naval warfare. The battle was inconclusive with neither side truly winning. -
The battle of Shiloh was a two day battle that started on April 6, 1862. The Confederate Army launched a surprise attack on the Union Army. This battle ended up being a crucial success for the Union Army and it allowed Grant to begin a massive operation in the Mississippi Valley later that year. -
The confederate forces were originally called the Confederate Army of the Potomac and they were renamed the Army of Northern Virginia on June 1, 1862. Robert E. Lee was named Commander of the Army after the battle to defend Union forces from Richmond. -
On (date) a battle between Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army and General George McClellan’s Army occurred at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. This was one of the deadliest one-day battles in history. This was a huge Union victory. This vicotry allowed the Lincoln to release the Emancipation Proclamation. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg took place on December 13, 1862. Ambrose Burnside was the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac and he had ordered his troops (more than 120,000) to cross the Rappahannock River. It was here that they made a two-pronged attack on Robert E. Lee’s Large army of men of Northern Virginia at Fredericksburg. The battle resulted in a crushing defeat for the Union. -
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation. The country was approaching it's third year of the civil war. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that "all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Battle of Chancellorsville took place on April 4, 1863 and was a huge win for the confederacy. This battle is famous for being known as the battle that Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was wounded. Joseph Hooker led to Union to attack the Confederates as planned. Instead of retreating, the South fought back even though the North had more then double their soldiers. -
This major battle was the turning point of the Civil War. Confederate general, Robert E. Lee wanted to win a battle north of the mason Dixon line in hopes of ending all of the fighting. Instead this battle resulted in a Union victory. It was estimated that there was over 50,000 casualties from both sides. -
The Confederacy is torn into two when General John C. Pemberton surrenders to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. After being harshly attacked, the Confederates surrendered on July 3rd. The Union army took control of the city of Vicksburg the day after. -
The New York City draft riots were some of the deadliest riots in US history. These riots were triggered by the Conscription Act of 1863. This angered the working class of New Yorkers and caused 5 days of bloodshed and violence. -
One of the most famous speeches in United States history was delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. The Gettysburg Address was delivered at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Lincoln explains to the divided country that we have to protect the principles that the brave men on the battlefield are fighting for. This speech served as a sign of hope to many people in the country who have lost hope during these time of war. -
Union troops captured Atlanta on August 28, 1864. Because of its location, Atlanta was very useful for trading, supplies and military operations. Because of this, Atlanta was a major target for the Union Army. General William Tecumseh Sherman and his troops captured the city in 1864. -
In the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln of the National Union Party defeats the Democratic nominee, former General George B. McClellan. He won by 212–21 in the electoral college and had 55% of the popular vote. -
On November 15, 1864, Union General, William Tecumseh Sherman, began his march to the sea campaign. He marched in Georgia and burned down the houses of civilians and also took their food, resources and live stock. The purpose behind this was to scare the Southern civilians into not supporting the Confederate cause. -
On January 31, 1865, Congress passes the 13th Amendment. The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the US. The 13th Amendment sought to establish equality for black Americans. -
March 3, 1865, Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees.” This provided shelter, food, water, land, and medical services to people in the South that were displaced during the war. -
On March 4, 1865, president Abraham Lincoln gave his second inaugural address. His speech expressed his plans for healing the broken and divided country. He wanted to keep peace with the South while continuing to gain support in the North. He did this my proposing a compromise that said he wouldn't use force to maintain the union in the North or interfere with slavery in the states in which it already existed. -
The most significant sign that the Confederacy was nearing its last days was when Richmond Virginia fell to the Union Army. The Union hoped for all of the resources and military supplies when they captured Richmond. However the confederacy burned as much as possible to ruin the resources to prevent the Union from taking the valuable goods. Much of Richmond Virginia was destroyed during this. -
On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate troops to General Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This act effectively ended the Civil War. Lee decided to surrender because he knew there was nothing left that the South could do to break through the Union. Lee also wanted to keep minimal damage in the South so he thought this was the smartest move. -
In 1838 John Wilkes Booth was born in Maryland. He stayed in the North with his family to continue his acting career despite his confederate values. Booth plotted a plan to kidnap president Lincoln. On the day of the event, Booth and his six helpers waited while Lincoln Never showed up. He plotted a more sinister plan and that was to kill him. While attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., Booth shot president Lincoln. -
On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth is Killed. Only 12 days after he assassinated Abraham Lincoln, he was tracked down by Union soldiers to Virginia, and there he was killed. He was 26 when he died and he was one of the most famous actors in the country.
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