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Period: to
Civil War
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Cooper Union Speech
One of Abraham Lincoln's longest speeches. Some say that he would never have become president if he hadn't made this speech. -
Five Points
Abraham Lincoln visited Five Points, the most notorious slum in America. He spent the day with Sunday school children. -
Pony Express
Pony Express takes it's first run from Saint Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. -
Lincoln's selected for candidate.
Abraham Lincoln is selected for as the U.S presidential candidate for the Republican Party -
Henry Rifle
Rifle used in the civil war by union soldiers was patent sometime in 1860 -
Albert Hicks
Albert Hick, a pirate convicted of murder, was hung in Long Island, NY before thousands of spectators -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th president of the United States. First Republican president to oppose slavery. -
Secession Convention
The first secession convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina. -
Crittenden Compromise
Aimed to resolve the secession crisis. -
Beginning of Secession
South Carolina is the first southern state to secede from the Union -
Mississippi
Mississippi succeeds from the union -
Florida
Florida secedes from the union -
Confederate President
Jefferson Davis is appointed the first president of the Confederate States of America -
Inauguration
Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th president of the United States of America -
Fort Sumter
Confederate forces fire at Fort Sumter. War has formally begun -
75,000 Militia Men
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation calling for 75,000 militiamen -
Battle of Big Bethel
The Battle of Big Bethel is the first land battle of the war in Virginia. -
Battle of Bull Run
Union General Mcdowell initially succeeds in driving back confederate forces until Confederate General Johnston and his troops arrive. Mcdowell and his army retreat to Washington -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
A disastrous day that included the death of Union General Lyon. Confederate victory which shows their strength west of the Mississippi river. -
Lexington, Missouri
Lexington, Missouri falls to the Confederate forces under Sterling Price -
Battle of Mill Springs
Union Victory weakened the Confederate hold on Kentucky -
Jefferson Davis Inaguration
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the president of the Confederate States of America -
Battle of Pea Ridge
Union victory disrupts southern hold on a portion of the Mississippi River -
Battle of Shiloh
First major battle in Tennessee where Confederate General Johnston was killed. Was the bloodiest battle of the civil war with more than 23,000 casualties. Union victory helps General Grant secure his career further. -
The Battle of Seven Pines
Confederate General Johnston is injured and replaced by General Robert E. Lee -
The Seven Days Battle
General Lee's army attacks the "Army of the Potomac" under General George McClellan in a succession of battles beginning at Mechanicsville on June 26 and ending at Malvern Hill on July 1. -
Battle of Second Bull Run
Fought on the same ground where one year before, the Union army was defeated and sent reeling in retreat to Washington. The result of this battle is another Union defeat. -
Antietam
The single bloodiest day of the war. Ends in General Lee's first invasion of the North. Following the North victory, President Lincoln introduces the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Fredericksburg Virginia.
The Army of the Potomac, under General Ambrose Burnside, is soundly defeated by Lee's forces after a risky river crossing and sacking of the city. -
Battle of Stones River
Fought between the Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg, the costly Union victory frees middle Tennessee from Confederate control and boosts northern morale. -
Emancipation Proclamation Goes into Effect
The emancipation proclamation goes into effect. Some people believe it doesn't do enough to abolish slavery -
Conscription for the North
The north begins drafting soldiers for military services -
Battle of Chancellorsville Virginia
General Lee's greatest victory and "Stonewall" Jackson gets mortally wounded in this battle. -
Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi
Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant attack confederate defenses outside the city. If Vicksburg falls the Mississippi River will be completely controlled by the Union -
1st Day of The Battle of Gettysburg
The bloodiest battle of the civil war. Both sides meet by chance and General Buford of the Union order his soldiers to take the high ground. -
The Battle of Gettysburg Day 3
Lee felt confident he could break Union lines. Confederates advance and are severely hurt by Union Artillery. North has a moral boost and the south lose hope. -
Vicksburg Virginia
Confederates surrender to the union and a week later the Union controls the Mississippi River. -
New York Riots
Draft Riots begin in New York City and elsewhere as disgruntled workers and laborers, seething over the draft system that seemingly favors the rich, attack the draft office and African American churches. The riots continue through July 16. -
The Battle of Chattanooga
Union forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks. The most notable event is the storming of Lookout Mountain on November 24 and Battle of Missionary Ridge the following day. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the Union. -
Escape from Libby Prison, Richmond.
After weeks of digging, 109 Union officers made their escape from the notorious Libby Prison, 48 of the escapees were later captured and two drowned, 59 were able to make their way into Union lines. -
Andersonville Prison Camp Opens
In Georgia, Camp Sumter Prison Camp opens. Universally referred to as Andersonville Prison Camp, it will become notorious for overcrowded conditions and a high death rate among its inmates. -
Battle of Wilderness, VA
General Ulysses S. Grant, accompanying the Army of the Potomac under General Meade, issued orders for the campaign to begin on May 3. Lee responded by attacking the Union column in the dense woods and underbrush of an area known as the Wilderness, west of Fredericksburg, Virginia. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
Relentless and bloody Union attacks fail to dislodge Lee's army from its strong line of defensive works northeast of Richmond. -
Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi-
In spite of being outnumbered almost two to one, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attacks and routs the Union command under General Samuel Sturgis. -
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia
After weeks of maneuvering and battles, Sherman's Army of the Cumberland and Army of the Tennessee smash headlong into Johnston's carefully planned defenses at Big and Little Kennesaw. Johnston remains on this line until July 2, when he retreats at the threat being flanked by Sherman's mobile force. -
Battle of Monocacy, Maryland
a force of 6,000 Federal troops under General Lew Wallace, was arrayed to delay his advance. Though the battle was a Union defeat, it was also touted as "the battle that saved Washington" for it succeeded in holding back Early's march until troops could be sent to the capital's defense. -
Battles near Tupelo, Mississippi
The Union defeat of Nathan Bedford Forrest secured the supply lines to Sherman's armies operating against Atlanta, Georgia. -
March to the Sea
General Sherman's Army of Georgia begins the "March to the Sea" -
The Battle of Nashville, Tennessee
The Confederate Army under John Bell Hood is thoroughly defeated and the threat to Tennessee ends. -
Battle of Fort Fisher
Union occupation of this fort at the mouth of the Cape Fear River closes access to Wilmington, the last southern seaport on the east coast that was open to blockade runners and commercial shipping. -
March to the Sea continues
Sherman's Army leaves Savannah to march through the Carolinas. -
Wilmington N.C
Wilmington, NC, falls to Union troops, closing the last important southern port on the east coast. On this same day, Joseph E. Johnston is restored to command the nearly shattered Army of the Tennessee, vice John B. Hood who resigned a month earlier. -
Two Terms
President Lincoln is elected for a second term in office -
Battle of Fort Stedman
Touted as "Lee's last offensive", Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon attack and briefly capture the Union fort in the Petersburg siege lines in an attempt to thwart Union plans for a late March assault. By day's end, the southerners have been thrown out and the lines remain unchanged. -
The Battle of Five Forks
The Confederate defeat at Five Forks initiates General Lee's decision to abandon the Petersburg-Richmond siege lines. -
The Battle of Sailor's Creek
A portion of Lee's Army- almost one-third of it- is cornered along the banks of Sailor's (or "Saylor's") Creek and annihilated. -
Lincoln Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. On the same day, Fort Sumter, South Carolina is re-occupied by Union troops. -
Capture Jefferson Davis
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory. -
Introducing the Bureau Act
Removing an expiration date of the Bureau Act and encompassing freedmen and refugees everywhere in the United States—not just in the ex-Confederate states. His bill also expanded the power of military governors to enforce provisions to protect African Americans -
Douglass meets Johnson
A black delegation led by Frederick Douglass meets with President Andrew Johnson at the White House to advocate black suffrage. The president expresses his opposition, and the meeting ends in controversy. -
Vetoed
President Andrew Johnson sent the Bureau Act back vetoed. Shocking news to the men in congress. -
Civil Rights Bill
Congress passes the Civil Rights Bill over Johnson's Veto. African Americans become citizens -
Riots in Memphis, TN
Racial violence rages in Memphis, Tennessee for three days as whites assault blacks on the streets. In the aftermath, 48 people, nearly all black, are dead, and hundreds of black homes, churches, and schools have been pillaged or burned. Many more are injured. -
Pass 14th Amendment
Grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to former slaves. -
The Freedmen’s Bureau Act of 1866
The Freedmen's Bureau Act became law on July 16, extending the work of the agency for two more years. Was closely related to the Civil Rights Act -
Tennessee Returns to the Union
Tennessee is the first state to return to the union -
New Orleans Riots
Riots and a race massacre break out in New Orleans, Louisiana. A white mob attacks blacks and Radical Republicans attending a black suffrage convention, killing 40 people -
Union Troops Demobilized
Only 38,000 soldiers remain in the south. More than half stationed in some places were African American. -
African American Men Vote in D.C
Overriding President Johnson's veto, Congress grants black male citizens in the District of Columbia the right to vote. -
Peabody Fund
Peabody Fund forms to promote Black education in southern US -
Nebraska Admitted
Nebraska was admitted to the Union -
Radical Reconstruction Acts
Congress passes the first series of Reconstruction Acts (Military, Command of the Army, and Tenure of Office). Congressional, or "Radical" Reconstruction commences. -
Second Reconstruction Act
Congress passes the Second Reconstruction Act; military commanders in each southern district are to register all qualified adult males to vote. -
Seward's Folly
The U.S. buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (1.9¢ per acre); this is dubbed a foolish purchase at the time, named "Seward's Folly" after the Secretary of State (William Henry Seward) who negotiated it. -
Third Reconstruction Act
Congress passes the Third Reconstruction Act. Registrars are directed to go beyond the loyalty oath by determining the eligibility of each person who wants to take it; district commanders are authorized to re-take control by replacing the preexisting state officeholders. -
Tenure of Office
Johnson intentionally violates the Tenure of Office Act when he suspends Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and replaces him with General Ulysses S. Grant during a congressional recess. The Senate refuses to confirm the action, Grant returns the office to Stanton, but the President names Gen. Lorenzo Thomas to the post instead. Impeachment proceedings follow in 1868. -
Impeach Andrew Johnson Research
US Congress commission looks into "impeachment" of President Andrew Johnson -
Reconstruction Elections
By the end of 1867, new elections have been held under the Radical Reconstruction plan in every southern state except Texas.
