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Presidential Election
Abraham Lincoln is elected President, creating animosity in the South. -
Southern States Secede
South Carolina secedes first, and then ten states follow: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee by June, 1861 -
Fort Sumter
Southern forces fire on Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War -
Battle of Bull Run
Observers realize that this will not be a short war after Confederate troops are able to push back Union forces in the first major battle. This is where Thomas Jackson receives the nickname “Stonewall”. -
Surrender of Fort Donelson
This fort in Tennessee was taken by Ulysses S. Grant, and left the Cumberland River in Union hands. Grant earned the nickname “Unconditional Surrender” here. -
Battle of Shiloh
The first major battle in Tennessee, the Union victory secures the career of Ulysses Grant. -
Battle of Seven Pines
This battle near Richmond, Virginia ends with Robert E. Lee replacing a wounded General Joseph Johnston. -
Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest single day of the Civil War. The Union wins and Lincoln introduces the Emancipation Proclamation soon after. -
Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi
General Grant lays siege to this important port city on the Mississippi River. Within two months Confederate forces surrender and the Union takes control of the river. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The bloodiest battle of the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces fought for three days, centering in and around Gettysburg, PA. The Union finally wins. -
Battle of The Wilderness
General Grant and General Meade lead the Union army in a campaign to break the Confederate army in half. General Lee responds by attacking the Union troops. -
Period: to
Series of Battles and Skirmishes
Many small skirmishes and some major battles occurred during 1864 and into 1865, some bolstering the confidence of the Confederate Army. -
Presidential Election 1864
Abraham Lincoln is re-elected President of the United States. -
Sherman’s “March to the Sea” Begins
General William T. Sherman begins his “March to the Sea”, cutting a wide swath of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House and the Surrender of the Confederacy
Lee attempts to break through the Union line to move west and fails. Realizing his army is starving and supplies are nowhere to be found, he seeks an audience with General Grant and formally surrenders. -
Abraham Lincoln Assassinated
President Lincoln is shot and killed at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC by the actor John Wilkes Booth.