Key Events of the Civil War

By Brady Payan

  • Secession

    In the wake of the election of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election of 1860, the angered South Carolina decides to secede from 'Murica. South Carolina had historically threatened secession, but this election was the last straw.

  • Confederacy is Formed

    Representatives from seven Southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama to the terms and constitution of the new Confederate States of America. The constitution gave more power to states than the nation as a whole. Jefferson Davis was selected as president.

  • Start of the War

    The shot was fired at Fort Sumter when Lincoln had ordered the movement of supplies to the fort, but the South had suspected an attack.

  • The Split of Virginia

    The citizens in the western part of Virginia wanted seperate from the rest Virginia because they did not want to secede from the Union. This western part of Virginia (now the state of West Virginia), joined the Union on June 20th, 1863.

  • More States Join the Union

    Four slave states, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri. Many effective political tactics got these states to enter the union, as well as military pressure.

  • Battle of Bull Run

    Union General Irvin McDowell is defeated and is forced to retreat back to Washington. This battle was interesting because of the many spectators that were present.

  • Robert E. Lee takes command

    General Robert E. Lee, one of the best commanders in American history, took over shortly after the start of the war. The south was heralded for its great commanders because they were able to hold of the North for some time even though they had many disadvantages.

  • Battle of Antietam

    The bloodiest day in American Military history. The battle resulted in a draw, but Union President Abraham Lincoln took it as a good oppurtunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

  • Emancipation Proclamation

    The EP freed all slaves in the Confederate States of America, even though this was out of his jurisdiction. The EP didn't apply to all slave states however, because Lincoln didn't want neutral states to secede. The EP also called for the enlistment of blacks.

  • Battle of Gettysburg

    General Meade and the Union defeated Lee and the Confederacy at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was one of the bloodiest battles in American history and was a turning point in the war.

  • Grant Takes Command

    President Lincoln appoints Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant as the commnder of all Union amries in the Eastern Campaign. William T. Sherman takes over the western campaign.

  • Battle of the Wilderness

    Many soldiers were not killed by bullets or mines or disease, but rather by forest fires and resulted in over 25,000 casualties. This was also one of the bloodiest battles in the wars.

  • Battle of Cold Harbor

    The Union suffered 7,000 casualties in 20 minutes due to a mistake made by Grant that left the Union vulnerable. It was a bad loss for the Union

  • Sherman Caputures Atlanta

    Sherman famously marched from the West to the Atlantic. Infamously, he burned down ever city he captured, and he did the same to Atlanta. This attack was done in attempt to sandwich the Confedaracy

  • 13th Amendment

    This amendment oficially abolished slavery in EVERY state, unlike the EP. The Union would eventually get the South to agree to it.

  • The War is Over

    Lee becomes surrounded at the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Lee surrenders all of his troops to Grant, thus ending the worst war in American History.

  • Assassination of Lincoln

    One of the Greatest presidents in American History dies from a fatal gunshot to the head. Actor John Wilkes Booth, the killer, is killed days later when he is surrounded in a barn, which is burned down with him insude.

  • Tennessee Rejoins Union

    Tenn. becomes the first former Confederate state to rejoin the union. Soon other states followed their lead.

  • Second Reconstruction Act

    Confederacy is forced to give rights to blacks. The South tried to find many ways around this though, but it was strictly enforced.

  • 14th Amendment

    This newly ratified revoked the 3/5's compromise and created a new federal category of citizenship, which allowed blacks to be citizens