-
Period: to
Civil War Timeline
-
Cooper Union Address
Abraham Lincoln gives speech at Cooper Union, NY. Some historians argue that this speech is responsible for his election later that year. -
Pony Express
The Pony Express debuts. It improves postal service. -
Meteorite falls in Ohio
A chondrite meteorite falls in Muskingum County, Ohio. It falls near the town of New Concord -
The Paiute War
The Paiute War begins, between the Paiute and American vigilantes. The vigilantes were defeated, nearly all of them being killed -
Abraham Lincoln selected Republican Candidate
Lincoln is nominated as the Republican Candidate for the election of 1860. -
Stone Prairie Riot
Riots take place Plainville, Illinois. They erupt between Republicans and Democrates -
Lincoln Election
Abraham Lincoln is elected president. He belongs to the Republican Party and opposes slavery. -
First Secession Conference
The first Secession Convention is held in Columbia, South Carolina. States discuss the possibility of seceding from the United States -
Crittenden Comprimise
Senator John J. Crittenden proposes the Crittenden Compromise. This is was an attempt to solve the secession crisis -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina Secedes from the Union. They are the first state to do so. -
Jefferson Davis becomes President of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis is elected the first and only president of the Confederacy. He is a Democrat senator from Mississippi. -
Abraham Lincoln is Inaugurated.
Abraham Lincoln is officially sworn in as the 16th President of the United States. -
The Confederate States of America is formed
The six secedes states meet. They formally establish the Confederacy -
Fort Sumter
The first shots of the Civil War are fired at Union Naval Base Fort Sumter. North Surrenders the fort -
Virginia Secedes
Virginia secedes from the Union. Other states soon follow -
Lincoln issues Proclamation of Blockade
Blockades are set to block off Southern Ports. This is a way of starving the South of supplies. -
Lee Joins the Confederacy.
General Robert E. Lee refuses the offer to command the Union Army because he will not fight against his home state of Virginia. He goes to Richmond and accepts an offer as a Confederate General. -
Lincoln Speech to Congress
Lincoln gives a speech to Congress about war. Congress authorizes a call for 500,000 men. -
Bull Run
The first official battle of the Civil War is fought at Bull Run. The Union suffers a crushing, and unexpected defeat. -
McClellan
Lincoln appoints General George McClellan as Commander of the Union Army. McClellan arrogantly accepts saying "I can do it all" -
Fort Henry
Battle fought in western Tennessee. It was the first major victory for Ulysses S. Grant in the Western Theatre -
Fort Donelson
The capture of Fort Donelson was another Union Victory in the Western Theater. Ulysses S. Grant earned his name "unconditional surrender" after this battle. -
Willie Lincoln dies
Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, dies from fever. Abraham is in grief. -
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Union victory loosened the Confederate hold on Missouri and disrupted southern control of a portion of the Mississippi River. -
Merrimack
The Confederate Ironclad Merrimack sinks two wooden Union ships. -
Ironclad Ships
The Confederate Merrimack battles the Union ironclad "Monitor." The ships battle to a draw. Naval warfare is revolutionized, as wooden ships are obsolete. -
The Battle of Shiloh
Confederate troops surprise attack Union troops at Shiloh. There are more casualties than in any other American wars. -
Battle of Seven Pines
Confederate general, Joseph E. Johnston attacked McClellan's troops in front of Richmond. The result of the battle is inconclusive. -
The Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest single day of the Civil War. The result of the battle ends General Lee's first invasion of the North. -
The battle of Fredericksburg
The Army of the Potomac, under General Ambrose Burnside, is soundly defeated by Lee's forces after a risky river crossing and sacking of the city. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. Applauded by many abolitionists including Frederick Douglass, there are others who feel it does not go far enough to totally abolish slavery. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Union victory in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Often considered the most important victory in the Civil War. -
The Capture of Vicksburg
The capture of Vicksburg gives the Union complete control of the Mississippi River, a vital supply line for the Confederate states in the west. -
Lincoln meets with Douglass
The president meets with abolitionist Frederick Douglass who pushes for full equality for Union Negro troops. -
Siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee
Confederate forces under Braxton Bragg surround the occupied city. General Ulysses S. Grant is assigned to command the troops there and begins immediate plans to relieve the besieged Union army. -
Battle of Chickamauga
The Union Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans is defeated and nearly routed by the Confederate Army of Tennessee commanded by General Braxton Bragg. Rosecrans' army retreats to the supply base at Chattanooga, Tennessee. -
Gettysburg Address
Dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. -
Battle for Chattanooga
Union forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks. The most notable event is the storming of Lookout Mountain on November and Battle of Missionary Ridge the following day. -
Mile Run Campaign
The Mine Run Campaign. Meade's Army of the Potomac marches against Lee's Army of Northern Virginia south of the Rapidan River, east of Orange Court House. Lee reacts and throws up a line of defenses along the banks of Mine Run Creek. After several days of probing the defenses, Meade withdraws north of the Rapidan and goes into winter quarters. -
Siege of Knoxville
Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee. Confederate troops under General James Longstreet lay siege to the city of Knoxville held by Union forces under General Ambrose Burnside. Longstreet finally attacks but is repulsed with heavy losses. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the Union. -
First Submarine
First Successful Submarine Attack of the Civil War. The CSS H.L. Hunley, a seven-man submergible craft, attacked the USS Houstonic outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Struck by the submarine's torpedo, the Housatonic broke apart and sank. -
Andersonville
In Georgia, Camp Sumter Prison Camp opens. Universally referred to as Andersonville Prison Camp, it will become notorious for overcrowded conditions and a high death rate among its inmates. -
Grant Appointed Lieutenant General
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed lieutenant general, a rank revived at the request of President Lincoln. Grant assumes command of all Union Armies in the field the following day. -
Battle of Brice's Crossroads
In spite of being outnumbered almost two to one, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attacks and routs the Union command under General Samuel Sturgis. -
Battle of Peachtree Creek
Battle of Peachtree Creek, Georgia, the first major battle around the city of Atlanta. General Hood sends his army out of the city's defenses to attack the approaching Federal troops under George Thomas. After several hours of fierce fighting, Hood withdrew back to his own defensive works. -
The Fall of Atlanta
Fall of Atlanta, Georgia. Confederate troops under General Hood evacuate the city of Atlanta. General Sherman's army occupies the city and its defenses the following day. -
Battle of Cedar Creek
In an early morning surprise attack, Jubal Early's Confederates successfully attack and drive troops of the Army of the Shenandoah from their camps on the banks of Cedar Creek south of Middletown, Virginia. Hearing the fight from his headquarters at Winchester, General Philip Sheridan rides southward, rallying dispirited troops who return to the battlefield. -
Lincoln Reelected
Abraham Lincoln is reelected president of the United States. He wins in a landslide -
Sherman's March to the Sea Begins
General Sherman's Army of Georgia begins the "March to the Sea." This campaign would leave destruction in the south in its path. -
Sherman Completes March to the Sea
Harassed only by scattered Georgia militia, Sherman's Army of Georgia arrives at Savannah, Georgia, completing the famous "March to the Sea". At Savannah, his troops will take Fort McAllister and force Confederate defenders to evacuate the city. -
Fort Fisher
Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina. Union occupation of this fort at the mouth of the Cape Fear River closes access to Wilmington, the last southern seaport on the east coast that was open to blockade runners and commercial shipping. -
Sherman Captures Columbia
Sherman's Army captures Columbia, South Carolina. Confederate defenders evacuate Charleston, South Carolina. -
The Fall of Richmond
The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond. General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces under General Johnston in North Carolina. -
The Battle of Sailors Creek
The Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia. A portion of Lee's Army- almost one-third of it- is cornered along the banks of Sailor's Creek and annihilated. -
Lee Surrenders
After an early morning attempt to break through Union forces blocking the route west to Danville, Virginia, Lee seeks an audience with General Grant to discuss terms. That afternoon in the parlor of Wilmer McLean, Lee signs the document of surrender. On April 12, the Army of Northern Virginia formally surrenders and is disbanded. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. -
Attack on Fort Stedman
Virginia. Touted as "Lee's last offensive", Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon attack and briefly capture the Union fort in the Petersburg siege lines in an attempt to thwart Union plans for a late March assault. By day's end, the southerners have been thrown out and the lines remain unchanged. -
Johnston Surrenders
General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and miscellaneous southern troops attached to his command at Bennett's Place near Durham, North Carolina. -
Jeff Davis is Captured
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured. He is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. -
The Battle a Palmito Ranch
The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory. -
Last issue of the Liberator
The last issue of the abolitionist magazine The Liberator is published in Boston. -
Capital Dome is Completed
The second United States Capitol dome is completed in Washington, D.C. after 11 years of work. It still survives to the modern day. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The United States Congress overwhelmingly passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. -
ASPCA founded
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world. -
The nickel is minted
The U.S. Congress approves the minting of a nickel 5. This replaces the half-dime -
Great Fire of Portland
The Great Fire of Portland, Maine kills two and leaves 10,000 homeless. It was the worst fire in an American city at this time. -
Grant becomes the first General of the Army
The U.S. Congress passes legislation authorizing the rank of General of the Army. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to have this rank. -
Metric Act of 1866
The Metric Act of 1866 becomes law and legalizes the use of the metric system for weights and measures in the United States. -
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. -
Western Union
Western Union Telegraph Expedition to Alaska begins its second season. -
Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever Sweeps through New Orleans. Kills 3,093. -
Prohibition National Convention
The Prohibition National Committee is formed in the United States -
John A. Roebling Bridge
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world. -
Black Voting Rights in D.C.
African-American men are granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia. -
Nebraska becomes a state
Nebraska is admitted to the U.S. It is the 37th State -
Alaska is Purchased
Alaska is purchased for $7.2 million from Alexander II of Russia, about 2 cents an acre, by United States Secretary of State William H. Seward -
Elevated Railroad
The first elevated railroad in USA begins service in New York. -
Dentistry
In Boston, Massachusetts, the Harvard School of Dental Medicine is established. It is the first dental school in the United States. -
Midway Island
The United States takes control of Midway Island.
October–December -
Charles Dickens
In a New York City theater, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
