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During the months of December, January, and March several states seceded from the union. These states included South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Geogria, Louisiana & Texas.
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The first shot of the Civil War is fired at Fort Sumter.
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Virginia and Arkansas secede from the Union. Richmond, Virginia is named capital of the Confederacy.
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Tenessee becomes the ninth state to secede from the Union.
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Despite the defeat in Tennessee, Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederacy.
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The Confederate ship, The Merrimack, was able to break the Union blockade and advance past Norfolk, Va. Ultimately, the Union was able to push it back.
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Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and the Union forces take Fort Henry, Tennessee.
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Lincoln announces the Emancipation Proclamation, which gave freedom to all slaves held in rebel territory effective January 1, 1863.
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The Confederate and Union forces battled in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There were huge losses of life for both sides. The Union victory is considering a turning point in the war.
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During August, 1864, General Sherman marched his Union army from Atlanta to the Georgia coast at Savannah. Over these months, the army destroyed farms, factories and homes.
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President Lincoln is relected to his second term as President.
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The Northern Blockades weakened the South greatly. Food was scarce, the Confederate dollar was practically worthless, and many people abandoned the army.
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General Lee formally surrenders the Confederacy.
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Just 5 days after the war ends, President Lincoln was assassinated in a Washington DC theatre.
