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Lincoln is Elected
Abraham Lincoln wins a four-way race for President of the United States. Although he is not even on the ballot in nine southern states, he earns enough electoral votes to beat all other opponents. He was vastly unpopular in the South, and his election angered some states enough to cause them to secede from the Union. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina officially secedes from the Union after Lincoln's election, becoming the first state to do so. This sparked a series of secessions from many southern states, which coalesced into a Confederacy outside of the Union. By June of 1861, all of the southern stated had seceded from the Union, and had begun to fight for their opposing beliefs. -
Civil War Begins
Confederate forces under General Beauregard attack Major Robert Anderson and the Union soldiers at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. This officially marks the beginning of the Civil War. The war would last for more than 2 years, and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. -
Union Surrender at Fort Sumter
Major Robert Anderson of the Union surrenders Fort Sumter to Confederate forces after two days of bombardment and heavy losses. -
Lincoln requests an Army
Lincoln addresses Congress and requests the enlistment of a Union Army. Congress authorizes a call for 500,000 men to form the army. This was the first clear sign that the war will be neither quick nor easily won for either side. -
First battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run pits Union General Irvin McDowell against the new Confederate army. McDowell is defeated causing a panicked retreat back to Washington, which is about forty miles away. The withdrawal is hampered by the large numbers of spectators who are there to see the battle. This early union defeat, along with the heavy casualties on both sides, showed everybody that the end of the war will come only at great cost. -
Robert E. Lee Takes Command
General Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. He is a very experienced and skilled military leader, and leads the South to many victories during the war. He eventually orders his army to surrender at Appomatox Courthouse, which marks the beginning of the war drawing to a close. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declares his intention to free all slaves in any new territory captured by the Union Army. It did not, however, free all slaves in current Northern territory. This was because Lincoln knew that he needed to maintain the support of the border states in order to win the way, and those states still depended on slavery for a large portion of their income. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Far to the West on the Mississippi River, General Ulysses S. Grant takes Vicksburg after a long siege. At the end of the battle, the Union gained control of the entire Mississippi river, cutting the Confederacy into two halves. This spelled the inevitable end of the Confederacy, and it was oly a matter of time until the union emerged victorious. -
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Draft Riots
When the government attempts to begin conscription, riots break out in New York and other northern cities. In New York, 120 men, women and children—mostly black—are killed before Union troops returning from Gettysburg restore order. The North was not as stable and prosperous as it sometimes seemed. -
Grant Appointed as Commander
Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant commander of all Union armies, ending his long search for a decent general to command northern forces. General William T. Sherman takes over as commander in the West. Grant is eventually elected as president after the Civil war ends and Johnson's time as president runs out. -
Virginia Campaign
Beginning a drive aimed at ending the war, Ulysses S. Grant and 120,000 troops march south towards Richmond, the Confederate capital. Over the course of the next six weeks, a brutal war of attrition results in the deaths of nearly 50,000 Union soldiers. The campaign reaches moderate success, although the huge losses incurred by the Union caused a setback. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ends Slavery
The United States Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which will abolish slavery. This is a very bold statement and brings more support for the Union from Blacks, but also displeased the border states. -
Lee Surrenders
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant in a farmhouse in the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Although the war is not officially over, this surrender marks the end of the war. Confederate troops are ordered to disband, while Union soldiers are told to refrain from taunting and celebrating. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Lincoln was shot in the head in a theater as the civil war was drawing to a close. His plan for reconstruction was never put into action, and instead, Johnson's plan, which was stricter on the South, and aimed more at punishing the south than quickly unifying the country. -
Johnston Surrenders
General Joe Johnston, leading the largest Confederate Army still in existence, surrenders in North Carolina. This was after Lee already surrendered at Appomatox Courthouse, but with a delay in the transfer of information, another battle was fought and lost by the Confederates. -
Slavery is Abolished
The Thirteenth Amendment is ratified by the States. Slavery is abolished. The Southern states were required to accept the ammendment and ban slavery and segregation in order to rejoin the Union. This led to the successful abolition of slavery, and Blacks were treated well for a short period of time, until the Reconstruction collapsed in the South and segregation reemerged. -
Slavery Abolished
The Thirteenth Amendment is ratified by the States. Slavery is abolished. The Southern states were required to accept the ammendment and ban slavery and segregation in order to rejoin the Union. This led to the successful abolition of slavery, and Blacks were treated well for a short period of time, until the Reconstruction collapsed in the South and segregation reemerged. -
Johnson Impeached
President Johnson's racist policies and constant conflict with the House of Representatives led to an attempt to impeach him. This was the first attemt at impeachment ever done in the US, The impeachment and subsequent trial gained a historical reputation as an act of political expedience, rather than necessity, based on Johnson's defiance of an unconstitutional piece of legislation and with little regard for the will of the public (which, despite the unpopularity of Johnson, opposed the impeach -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment to the United States Constitution granted citizenship to any persons born in the United States. This applied to Blacks as well, so southern states were very reluctant to agree to it. However, the southern states were refused representation in government of the Union until the pledged to follow the ammendment's demands. -
15th Amendment
The 15h Amendment granted the right to vote to all US Citizens, regardless of their race, color, or previous servitude. This granted suffrage to all Blacks in the United states, as per the 14th ammendment. This did not extand universalf suffrage to women, only men, but the voting rights of women would be reexamined soon.