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Lincolns elected president
Lincoln is elected president despite not even being on some of the ballots in southern states thus causing tension. -
South Carolina leaves
South Carolina is the first confederate state to secede from the union. -
Mississippi leaves
Mississippi secedes from the Union. -
Florida leaves
Florida secedes from the union. -
Lincolns inaguaration
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States. In his address he warns the south: he will not tolerate secession. -
And so it begins
Union soldiers arrive at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War officially begins. -
the South's commander
General Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate Army. -
Antietam
The Battle of Antietam is the bloodiest day in United States history. Over 26,000 men are killed, wounded or missing in action on both sides. Though officially a draw, the battle stops General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland and he retreats back to Virginia. -
emancipation proclamation
Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. It frees all slaves in territory captured by the Union Army, and orders the enlistment of Black soldiers. From this point forward, the Civil War is a war over slavery. -
Gettysburg
From July 1st to July 4th, the Union Army under General Meade defeats Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One of the bloodiest battles of the war, Gettysburg is a turning point, and marks the farthest advance of the Confederate Army into Northern territory. -
Grant takes command
Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant commander of all Union armies, ending his long search for a general to command northern forces. -
Sherman's march to the sea
Union General Sherman begins his famous March to the Sea, cutting a swath of destruction 300 miles long and 60 miles wide through Georgia. -
lucky #13
The United States Congress approves the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which will abolish slavery. -
Lincolns 2nd term
Lincoln is sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. -
The war is over
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant in a farmhouse in the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. The war is over
