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Battle of Fort Sumter - Confederate Victory
This was the beginning of the Civil War. It occured right after South Carolina seceded from the Union.They were annoyed at having enemy forces in their area, so the Union forces moved to Fort Sumter where they eventually were pelted by a lot of Confederate troops. At first, the Union soldiers did not fight back because of the lack of ammunition, but began to fire back sparingly. After 34 hours of fighting, the battle ended with 0 soldiers dead. The Union troops were able to leave peacefully. -
The First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) - Congederate Victory
This war began when the Union forces’ leader, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, was encouraged to attack Confederate forces in Manassas, Virginia. But the plan created was too intricate and the Confederate forces got ahold of it. As the Union forces unsuccessfully tried to attack the left flank of the Confederates, the Confederates fought and broke the Union’s right flank which resulted in the Union retreating. The Confederates only had 1,982 casualties, where as the Union had 2,896 casualties. -
Battles at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
After the Confederate win at the Battle of Sumter, the Union wanted to show what they got, while the Confederates were just resting at Fort Henry. Ulysses S. Grant led his troops to own at the Battle of Fort Henry and got the Confederates to surrender the fort. He used 7 boats and killed a ton of them. The Confederates got back together at Fort Donelson where Grant demolished therm again. Union losses were 2,331 and the Confederates lost more than 15,000. These were the Union’s first victories. -
Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack (Hampton Roads) -Union Victory
This was one of the greatest naval battles in the history of the U.S. because ironclad ships were used. The northern-built Merrimack was stolen by the Confederacy and turned into the Virginia. As the Virginia was going to fight the Union’s Minnesota, the Union’s Monitor stepped in and protected her. It had to retreat to shallow waters after being hurt by the Virginia. A subsequent battle between these two ships ended in the Monitor winning. These battles boosted morale of both sides of the war. -
Battle and Capture of New Orleans - Union Victory
New Orleans was a major target for the Union. The attack began on April 18, 1862 when the Union fleet, led by David Farragut, attacked the forts of New Orleans. The mortar fleet was able destory one fort and hurt the other one. On April 24 the fleet passed the forts and ships which led to the capture of the city. The Stars and Stripes were raised and the Union moved on to take Baton Rouge and Natchez, but not Vicksburg which was also a major target. This was an important win for the Union. -
The Battle of Antietam - Draw/Union Victory
The Battle of Antietam was the first major Civil War battle that occurred in the North because General Robert Lee of the Confederates wanted push upward. Lee succeeded in small skirmishes before the actual battle. During the battle General Lee’s forces surrounded by Major General McClellan’s forces and other Union forces and after much fighting was forced to retreat. This was one of the bloodiest days in American history with 23,000 people wounded or missing, and an additional 3,500 peple died. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The reason Lincoln was elected was that he was neutral on the issue of slavery. But during his presidency, he was pushed to free slaves. A series of acts came out, including the Confiscation Acts, that helped slaves towards freedom, but didn’t exactly free them. Because of pressure from Northern abolitionists, Lincoln had no choice, but to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. This was politically risky, but in truth, it benefited the North, weakened the South, and freed human beings. -
The Battle of Gettysburg - Union Victory
The Battle of Gettysburg was the last attempt to win a battle in the North by Lee who attempted surround Union forces putting forth all effort. The Union forces held strong though, and under Major General Meade managed to keep position in the war. The Confederates performed a last-ditch effort known as Pickett’s charge which ended in a lot of casualties for the Confederates. The next day, the Confederates retreated. Union Casualties -23,000 , Confederate Casualties- 28,000. -
Lincoln wins the Election of 1864 (re-elected)
Lincoln was close to losing the election of 1864, because some Northerners liked him, but not his decision on slavery. Lincoln was worried that he would not gain re--election because in the months before the election half the slaves that were killed in 3 years, were killed. This put doubt to his Emanicpation, but despite this, Lincoln won. This election was important because it showed that slavery wouldn't be tolerated. in the Union. Huge morale-booster for Lincoln and his supporters. -
Lee Surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse - Of course a Union Victory
This is the most important event of the war because it ended the war. Lee surrendered to Grant after fighting the Battle at the Appomattox Courthouse because he had miscalculated the Union forces. There was no solution for Lee, but to surrender. This was a great day in American history because it solidified the idea that America should stay intact and that the Stars and Stripes should not be torn apart. The terms agreed upon by Lee and Grant was the model for Confederate surrenders after this.
