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Jefferson Davis comes out in favor of secession for the first time.
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The first riding teams of the Pony Express simultaneously leave St. Joseph, Missouri. This will make communication and the delivery of letters much quicker.
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Abraham Lincoln, with 180 electoral votes and 1,865,593 popular
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South Carolina plans the date for a convention on December 17 where they would decide if they shall secede or not.
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President James Buchanan sends a distressed State of the Union message to Congress where he states that, although secession is unconstitutional, yet the government lacks federal authority to prevent it.
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Georgia calls for a convention for the southern states to form an independent nation.
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The first secession convention is held in Columbia, South Carolina.
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Following three days after the convention, South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union.
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President Buchanan receives a tip that Secretary of War John Floyd of upcoming issues, and he calls for his resignation.
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As requested by President Buchanan, Secretary of War John Floyd resigns. Charges come out later that day that he misdirected funds and weapons to the south.
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Mississippi becomes the second state, following South Carolina, to secede from the Union.
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Alabama becomes the 4th state to secede from the Union
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Georgia becomes the 5th state to secede from the Union
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Louisiana becomes the 6th state to secede from the Union
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The southern states that secede from the union create a new government at Montgomery, Alabama, forming the Confederate States of America.
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Following the creation of the Confederate States of America, Davis is appointed president until the elections in 1862.
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Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th president of the United States
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At 4:30 am the Confederates, under Gen. Beauregard, open fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC. This begins the Civil War.
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Virginia becomes the 8th state to secede from the Union
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The Union Army under General Irvin McDowell suffers the first loss of the war; Confederate General Thomas Jackson earns the nickname "Stonewall".
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Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Henry, giving the Union control of the Tennessee River.
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The Union captures Fort Donelson and takes control of the Cumberland River, giving Ulysses S Grant the nickname "Unconditional Surrender."
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The Union wins the two day battle, and they loosen the South's hold on Missouri and a portion of the Mississippi River.
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Southern General Albert Sidney Johnston is killed in battle, and the Union secures a victory, securing the position of general to Ulysses S Grant.
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Southern General Joseph Johnston is wounded in battle and is replaced by Robert E Lee, who renames his command the "Army of Northern Virginia." The result of the war is inconclusive.
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Lee's army attacks the "Army of the Potomac" under the command of George McClellan near Richmond, resulting in a victory for the south.
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The Battle of Second Bull Run is fought on the same ground where the Union previously suffered their first defeat and, likewise, the Confederates claim a victory once again.
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This battle, the single bloodiest day of the Civil War, ends General Lee's first attempt at invading the north.
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Following the Union victory at Antietam, President Lincoln introduced the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves in the south.
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The Union attempts to cross the river and sack the city of Fredericksburg, VA, where they are defeated by the Confederates.
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President Lincoln puts the Emancipation Proclamation into effect. While it is applauded by many abolitionists, there is widespread doubt that it will not totally abolish slavery.
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Whereas the south began a year prior, the north begins to draft soldiers into the army.
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General Lee's greatest victory is marred by the wounding of Stonewall Jackson, who dies just days later.
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The Union Army crosses the Rapidan River to attack General J.E.B Stuart's cavalry and discover that Lee's men are moving west toward the Shenandoah Valley. This was the largest cavalry battle of the war, and it marks the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign.
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Also known as the bloodiest battle of the war, the south's defeat dashes Lee's hope for an invasion of the north. This is seen as the turning point of the war.
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Vicksburg surrenders to the Union Army, giving them complete control over the Mississippi River.
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The Union army under General Rosecrans is defeated by the Confederates under General Bragg. The Union retreats to Chattanooga.
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President Lincoln delivers a short speech that commemorates the battle and dedicates the Soldiers' National Ceremony at Gettysburg.
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Union forces break the southern siege of the city through notable events such as the storming of Lookout Mountain and Battle of Missionary Ridge. As a result of the southern defeat, General Bragg resigns.
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The Confederates under General Longstreet lay siege to the city of Knoxville. They attack days later but are repulsed by heavy losses and retreat.
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After weeks of digging, 109 Union officers made their escape from the prison. 48 escapees were later captured and 2 drowned, but 59 made it back to Union lines.
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Referred to as the Andersonville Prison Camp, the prison became notorious for overcrowded, poor conditions and a high death rate.
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The Union Army smashed head-on into General Johnston's carefully planned defenses. Johnston remains on the line until July 2 when the Confederates retreat at the threat of being flanked by Sherman's mobile force.
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In an attempt to draw Union troops away from the oncoming siege of Petersburg and Richmond, a Confederate force under Jubal Early moved north into Maryland. Although the North lost, this battle was considered to have saved Washington.
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The Union victory over the Confederates ensured the safety of Sherman's supply line during the Atlanta Campaign.
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General John Bell Hood replaces General Johnston as Commander of the Army of Tennessee.This changes signals a new Confederate strategy to thwart Sherman's campaign.
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After a month of tunneling by soldiers of the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry, a mine exploded under a Confederate fort in the Petersburg siege lines. Confederate counterattacks drove out the Union troops, and siege lines remained unchanged.
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In an early morning surprise attack, the Confederates attack the Union army at their camps along the banks of Cedar Creek. After hearing about the fight, General Sheridan rides southward to rally dispirited troops to return to battle. Although the Confederates tried to disrupt the Union advance, they were defeated.
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After a month of raiding Sherman's supply lines and attacking Union outposts, the Confederates, under the order of General Schofield, confront the Union troops. The Confederates take heavy losses, which includes six generals.
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The Confederates under John Bell Hood are defeated; ending the threat to Tennessee.
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Union occupation of the fort closes access to Wilmington, the last southern seaport on the east coast open to blockade runners.
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President Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term.
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The Confederate Army under General John B Gordon briefly captures the Union fort in order to thwart their plans for a late March assault. The Union ends up reclaiming the fort.
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The Confederate are defeated at Five Forks. This sparks General Lee's decision to abandon the Petersburg-Richmond siege.
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General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of meeting General Johnston's army in North Carolina.
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A large portion of Lee's army is cornered at the banks of Sailor's Creek and is annihilated.
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After an early morning attempt to break through the Union forces blocking the route west to Danville, VA, Lee signs the document of surrender that afternoon with General Grant.
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Abraham is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington DC.
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President of the Confederate States Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia.
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The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory.
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The first formal observation of President Lincoln's birthday is held in Washington DC. President Johnson is in attendance.
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The New Freedman's Bureau bill is passed by Congress. This authorized military trial for those accused of depriving African Americans of civil rights. This is vetoed by President Johnson on that same day.
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Texas repeals the actions of the Secession Convention
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President Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.
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President Andrew Johnson declares a state of peace with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
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Congress overrides President Johnson's veto on the Civil Rights Act.
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Congress overrides President Johnson's veto on the Freedman's Bureau bill.
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Congress establishes the position of "General of the Armies." They immediately promote Ulysses S Grant to 4-star general and grant him this position.
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The United States Secret Service begins an investigation on the Ku Klux Klan.
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On the 6th anniversary of secession, South Carolina rejects the 14th Amendment.
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African Americans in Washington DC gain the right to vote in a bill passed over President Johnson's veto.
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Nebraska becomes the 37th state of the United States.
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This denied the president the right to remove officials appointed by Congress.
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Thousands of votes from African Americans in Alexandria, VA, are rejected despite being granted universal suffrage under the Reconstruction Act.
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General Philip Sheridan assumes command of the 5th military district, encompassing Louisiana and Texas. He designates New Orleans as his headquarters.
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Congress passes the Second Reconstruction Act over President Johnson's veto.
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William P Seward signs a treaty with Russia, buying Alaska for 2 cents per acre. This was also known as Seward's Folly.
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Senate ratifies William P Seward's treaty for purchasing Alaska.
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Congress passes a bill admitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the union.
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In accordance with Seward's Folly, Russia turns Alaska over to the US.
