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Civil War Timespan
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Abraham Lincoln speaks at the Cooper Union Institute.
In a campaign speech at the Cooper Union Institute, Abraham Lincoln attacks slavery. He insists that the Federal government has "the power of restraining the extension of the institution." -
The Pony Express begins.
The Pony Express was a mail service that delivered messages, newspapers, and mail. This aided with Abraham Lincoln's campaign and allowed for news to spread faster than ever before. -
The Paiute War begins.
The Paiute War was started because Northern Paiutes raided Williams Station in the Utah territory. In this war, the Northern Paiutes with the Shoshone and Bannock tribes fought against U.S. expansion into their Utah territories. -
John Bell is nominated.
The United States Constitutional Union Party holds a convention in which a nominated for President of the United States was held and John Bell was given the nomination. -
Abraham Lincoln is selected to be the Republican candidate for the election.
The Republican party chose for Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer in Illinois to represent them in the 1860 election for President. He would be running against John C. Breckenridge, John Bell, and Stephen A. Douglas. -
The Paiute War ends.
With an informal ceasefire, the Paiute War was ended. The Northern Paiutes lost the war and an American fort was set up in the territory, claiming it as a United States territory that the Paiutes cannot invade. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected.
Abraham being elected enraged the southern states and prompted the Civil War. Because of the lack of southern support Lincoln got in the election and still winning, the southern states believed they had no fair voice in government. This also led South Carolina to succeed. -
Senator Crittenden proposed s compromise to try and solve the secession crisis
Senator John J. Crittenden proposes the Crittenden Compromise in hope to resolve the U.S. secession crisis but was unsuccessful in doing so. It aimed to resolve the crisis by addressing the fears and grievances about slavery that led many slave-holding states to consider secession from the U.S. -
South Carolina succeeds.
South Carolina was the first of several states to leave the Union. This was due to their lack of vice in government and the threat of slavery being abolished. The President, Jame Buchanan, declared the ordinance illegal but did not act to stop it. -
South Carolina issues "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union"
South Carolina issues the "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union" to the United States. This is a proclamation of why South Carolina seceded from the Union. This elaborated the Ordinance of Secession that was issued on December 20. -
Delaware does not secede.
Shortly after the succession of South Carolina, Delaware holds a vote on whether or not to follow their lead and secede but the vote went against succession. This causes Delaware to become a border state in the eyes of the Federal government. -
Mississippi secedes.
Mississippi becomes the second state to secede the Union and become a part of the Confederacy, following South Carolina. This led to more confidence in the south and persuaded other states to join the Confederacy. -
Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederacy.
Jefferson Davis, a former U.S. Representative and Senator from Mississippi, was elected the Provisional President of the Confederate States of America by the Weed Convention at Montgomery, Alabama. -
Abraham Lincoln arrives safely after an assassination attempt.
Abraham Lincoln was planned to be assassinated while transferring trains in Baltimore, Maryland on his way to his inauguration. Since Lincoln changed his schedule to switch trains at night so he would not have to endure the possibility of being assassinated, the public now saw him as a coward and the press ridiculed him greatly, which deteriorated his image before he was sworn into office. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was the unofficial first battle of the American Civil War. At the fort, the Confederate Army bombarded the United States Army and fired at the fort with no intention to kill anyone, more to try and gain respect. The Union was forced to surrender after given only supplies of food by President Lincoln. He did this to show that he would not be the aggressor of this war. -
Robert E. Lee becomes commander of the Confederate Army.
Robert E. Lee resigns his commissions in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the Confederate Army. He does this, not as an act to support slavery or secession, but as an act of obligation to his home state of Virginia. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run, which is also known as the First Manassas took place at Manassas Junction in Virginia. This was the first major battle of the Civil War. It ends with a Confederate victory even though they had a foreseen disadvantage. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek was the first major battle of the Civil War that was west of the Mississippi River. It was located near Springfield, Missouri and is sometimes referred to as "the Bull Run of the West." The battle resulted in a Confederate victory. -
Capture of Paducah, Kentucky
Union forced under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and captured Paducah, Kentucky bloodlessly. This capture gave the Union control of the mouth of the Tennessee River which is highly beneficial to them. -
Preliminary announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation
Union victory at the battle of Antietam and the nullification of the Fugitive Slave Law on March 13, 1862 both lead to the creation of the Emancipation Proclamation. On this day, Abraham Lincoln gives a preliminary announcement of the Procamation -
The Union Captures Fort Henry
After a long string of failures by he Union Army due to McClellan's lack of aggression during battle, General Ulysses S. Grant, who was far more aggressive than McClellan, led the Union to its first major victory in the war by capturing Fort Henry in Tennessee. -
The Union captures Fort Donelson
Under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and following the capture of Fort Henry, the Union army attacks Fort Donelson, Tennessee. The battle lasted for two days but eventually resulted in Union victory. The capture of these two forts in Tennessee by General Grant led him to only accept an "unconditional surrender" by the Confederate Army. This gave General Grant the nickname, "Unconditional Surrender". -
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 Nullified
The U.S. federal government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves to the south of other slave states because the recaptured slaves will benefit the southern economy which would not be good for the Union for the war. This effectively nullifies the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and sets the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation and infuriates the Confederacy. -
Battle of Yorktown
This battle begins when Union forces under General George B. McClellan closed in on the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. This battle was fought as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. -
The Union Army wins the Battle of Shiloh
The Union Army, under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant defeats the Confederate Army near Shiloh, Tennessee. This two day battle became the bloodiest battle in American history up to that point in time with over 23,000 causalities. -
Capture of New Orleans
Under the leadership of Union Admiral David Farragut, the Union Army captured the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This secures access to the Mississippi River which greatly benefits the Union. They can now use this to follow with one part of the Anaconda Plan: to split the Confederacy using the Mississippi River. -
Confederacy invades the North
Under the command of General Robert E. Lee, 55,000 men of the Army of Northern Virginia invade the North across the Potomac River at White's Ford near Leesburg, Virginia into Maryland. Lee does this with the hope that the Marylander's will support his army and the invasion would be more of a liberation, but contrarily, will lead to the battle of Antietam. -
Battle of Antietam
As a result of General Robert E. Lee invading Maryland with General George McClellan following him, the battle of Antietam is fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland. This battle became the bloodiest one day battle in U.S. history with over 22,000 casualties. This battle caused Lee to lose a quarter of his army and resulted in a Union victory. -
McClellan is fired.
George B. McClellan was removed from command of the Union Army by Abraham Lincoln due to his lack of aggressiveness when making decisions in the war. He would over think plans and would cause him to retreat, dragging the war on longer than necessary. -
Battle of Fredricksburg
During this battle the Union Amy suffers massive causalities while trying to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia but abandons the attempts, which diminishes one part of the Anaconda Plan that the Union had which would set them up for overall victory. -
Second Executive Order for the Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the second executive order of the Emancipation Proclamation, which specified the ten Confederate states in which slaves were to be freed from. These states were Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
During this battle, General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union forces with 13,000 confederate causalities and 17,500 union causalities. Among these causalities was Stonewall Jackson, a highly respected confederate general, who was lost to friendly fire. -
Battle of Jackson
During this battle, Ulysses S. Grant's Union army defeated the Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston. This opened the way for the Siege of Vicksburg. -
Siege of Vicksburg
This long siege that lasted until July 4, 1863 begins on this day. This was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the Civil War where Ulysses S. Grant crossed the Mississippi River and drove the Confederate army out of Mississippi, evidently gaining control of the Mississippi River which was part of the Union's Anaconda Plan. The siege ends when 30,189 Confederate men surrender. -
West Virginia is admitted.
Due to the distinct separation of the ideas that are in Virginia, part of Virginia decides that it does not want to be with the Confederacy because they do not agree with what it stands for. This part became the state West Virginia and was admitted as the 35th U.S. State -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Union army under the command of George G. Meade, defend against a Confederate invasion of the north under the command of Robert E. Lee. This was the largest battle of the war and had roughly 28,000 Confederate causalities and 23,000 Union causalities. This loss made Robert E. Lee request resignation as general of the Confederate army. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Union army, under the command of Ulysses S. Grant, capture the Confederate controlled city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, after the town surrendered. This siege lasted a total of 47 days. -
New York Draft Riots
In New York City, people opposed to conscription, or drafting for the army, began 3 days of very violent rioting called the New York Draft Riots. This riot is considered to be the worst in United States history with around 120 people killed. -
The first formal African American Military Unit
The first formal African American military unit, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, unsuccessfully assaulted Confederate-held Fort Wagner. However, their valiant fighting still proves the worth of African American soldiers during the war. Their commander, Colonel Robert Shaw was shot leading the attack and was buried with the others of his men that were killed in the battle. 450 union soldiers were killed and 175 confederate soldiers were killed. -
Gettysburg Address
The United States President, Abraham Lincoln, delivers the Gettysburg Address at the military cemetery dedication ceremony in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. -
First Prisoners arrive at Andersonville.
The first northern prisoners of war arrived at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, George. There were 500 northern prisoners that were put into the prison that left Richmond, Virginia seven days before arriving. -
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed commander and chief.
President Abraham Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant as the commander in chief of all Union armies. He did this as a replacement to George McClellan. -
The Siege of Petersburg
Union forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate troops under the command of General Robert E. Lee fight in a series of battle near Petersburg, Virginia. This would be the last time General Grant and General Lee are directly in battle together. -
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery was established on 200 acres of the grounds of Robert E. Lee's property called Arlington House are officially set-aside as a military cemetery by the U.S. Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. -
Battle of Atlanta
Just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Confederate General Hood leads an unsuccessful attack on Union troops under General Sherman on Bald Hill. General William T. Sherman overwhelmed and defeated the Confederate forces that were defending the city. After the city surrendered to the Union, the Union forces went through the city and burned the military facilities and ransacked the city. This battle led to a morale boost in the north that caused Abraham Lincoln to be reelected as President. -
Battle of Mobile Bay
Near Mobile, Alabama, in Mobile Bay, Admiral David G. Farragut led a Union fleet of ships through Confederate defenses and seals one of the last major ports of the south. This then gives the Union almost total control of the war from a naval standpoint. -
Battle of Globe Tavern
Union forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant try to cut a vital Confederate supply line from the north into Petersburg, Virginia for weaponry, food, and other necessary trade items. He does this by attacking the Wilmington and Weldon Railroads, forcing the Confederates to use wagons for trade. -
Abraham Lincoln is reelected.
Due to the morale boost of the battle of Atlanta, Abraham Lincoln was reelected into office in an overwhelming victory over George B. McClellan, the former commander of the Union army. -
The Second Battle of Franklin
The army of Tennessee led by General Hood has a dramatically unsuccessful attempt at a frontal assault on Union positions around the city, Franklin, Tennessee. During this battle General Hood lost about a third of his men and 6 other generals. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
At Waynesboro, Georgia, Union forces under General Judson Kilpatrick prevented Confederate troops led by General Joseph Wheeler, from interfering with General William Tecumseh Sherman's campaign of destroying a large amount of area in the south on his march to Savannah, Georgia. However, during this the Union suffered three times as many casualties as the Confederates. The campaign eventually ends when General Sherman captures the port of Savannah Georgia. -
Tennessee abolishes slavery.
Tennessee adopted a new constitution that abolishes slavery, although it was part of the Confederate States of America -
The Capture of Fort Stedman
Although Confederate forces were able to capture Fort Stedman from the Union, Robert E. Lee's army suffered major losses during the battle. The battle caused the loss of 2,900 Confederate soldiers, 1,000 of whom were captured by the Union army. This weakens Confederate positions and leads almost directly to Lee's defeat. -
"Evacuation Sunday"
The President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, and most of his cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The next day the capital is taken by Union troops, effectively ending the Civil War. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders.
After the Union captured the Confederate capital, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses. S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, officially ending the Civil War. -
Abraham Lincoln Assasinated
President Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed in Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday while attending the play, "Our American Cousin". Consequently, later that day, Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President, was inaugurated, becoming the 17th President of the United States. -
The Confederate Government is officially dissolved.
Jefferson Davis met with his Confederate cabinet of 14 officials for the last time in Washington, Georgia, and officially dissolved the Confederate government. -
General Edmund Kirby Smith surrenders.
Confederate forces west of the Mississippi under the command of General Edmund Kirby Smith surrender at Galveston, Texas to the Union army under the terms negotiated on May 26, 1865, becoming the last of the confederate troops to do so. -
Texas is informed of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Union Major General Gordon Granger lands at Galveston, Texas and informs the people of Texas of the Emancipation Proclamation. -
The 13th Amendment is ratified.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which permanently abolishes slavery, is declared ratified by three-quarters of the states in the United States. -
The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
The Ku Klux Klan is formed by six Confederate Army veterans, with the support of the Democratic Party in Pulaski, Tennessee, with a plan to resist the reconstruction of America and intimidate "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags", which are northerners who move to the south, and to repress the freed slaves. -
The Liberator's last issue
The last issue of the abolitionist magazine, called "The Liberator" is published in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. However, President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill on March 27 but the Congress overrides the veto on April 9. -
National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
Congress authorized the use of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. This home would house wounded soldiers who had been disabled through loss of limb, wounds, disease, or injury during service. The home also functioned as a mental hospital that would house soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder. -
14th Amendment
Previously vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, the Civil Rights Bill is ratified because the veto was overruled by Congress and was added to the United States Constitution as the 14th Amendment. -
The Judicial Circuits Act
The Judicial Circuits Act was an act that reduced the number of United State circuit courts to nine and the number of Supreme Court justices to seven. -
The rank of General of the Army is created.
The United States Congress passed legislation authorizing the rank of General of the Army, which is the modern say "5-Star General", and General Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to have this rank. -
National Union Convention
The National Union Convention is held in Philadelphia with hopes to reconcile the radical republicans in Congress with the reconstructionist policies of President Andrew Johnson. -
President Johnson starts his "Swing Around the Circle" speaking tour.
President Andrew Johnson goes on a speaking tour called, "Swing Around the Circle" in order to gain support for his reconstruction policies and to gain Democratic Party candidates in upcoming elections. The tour lasts until September 15, 1866. -
Frederick Douglas in the National Convention
Frederick Douglas became the first African-American citizen to attended a United States National Convention. -
House of Representatives Elections
Although President Andrew Johnson tried to persuade democrats to run for the House of Representatives during his speaking tour, Swing Around the Circle, the Republican Party gained control of the majority of the House of representatives. -
African American men given the right to vote in Washington D.C.
In the nation's capital, the District of Columbia, African-American males were given the right to vote. -
Nebraska admitted
Nebraska was admitted into the United States of America as the 37th state. -
First Reconstruction Act
The United States Congress passes the first Reconstruction act with the intentions to provide a more efficient government of the rebel state of the confederacy. This would be done by separating those states into military districts. -
Alaska Purchase
Alaska is purchased and admitted as the 38th state. Alaska was purchased for $7.2 million from Alexander the second of Russia. That equates to approximately two cents an acre. This purchase was done by the United State Secretary of State, William H. Seward and the deal was called "Seward's Folly". -
African-Americans vote in Alabama
In Tuscumbia, Alabama, blacks vote in a municipal, or local, election. This enrages some of the white citizens in the town. -
The Kidder Massacre
A Sioux and Cheyenne war party kills United States Second Lieutenant Lyman Kidder, along with an Indian Scout and ten enlisted men in Kansas. -
First elevated railroad
The first elevated railroad in the United States began servicing in New York, New York. -
Blacks vote for the first time in a state election.
In Tennessee, African-American citizens vote in a state election for the first time in the south. -
First all-black University
In Washington D.C., the first entirely African-American University, called Howard University was created by Congress. -
Andrew Johnson almost impeached
The United States Congress looked into the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson because he repeatedly vetoed bills that were being passed for reconstruction and black civil rights. However, Congress did not follow through with the idea.
