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Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was published on March 20, 1852. The novel was a huge hit and within 3 months, 300,000 copies were sold. The novel had a major influence on how Americans viewed slavery. The novel is also said to have “laid the groundwork” for the Civil War.
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Fort Sumter is an island fortification that is located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It is known for being the place where the first shots were fired in the Civil War. US Major Robert Anderson was in control of the fort in December 1860. On April 12, 1861, Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter starting the battle of Fort Sumter. The Union was forced to surrender the fort on April 13 allowing confederate troops to occupy the fort.
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The First Battle of Bull Run, or the Battle of Manassas, took place on July 21, 1861 near Manassas Junction, Virginia. It is known for being the first major land battle of the American Civil War. The battle began when 35,000 Union troops struck 20,000 Confederate troops along the Bull Run River. At first, the Confederates took the defensive side but soon they would break through making the Union retreat back to Washington, D.C.
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The Battle of Fort Henry took place in Tennessee on February 6, 1862. The battle would start when Union General Ulysses S. Grant launched an attack on Fort Henry. Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman evacuated most of his army before surrendering to the Union. The battle would bring the Tennessee river into Union control cutting off two critical waterways for the confederates.
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The Battle of the Ironclads ,which is also known as the Battle of Hampton Roads, occurred on March 9, 1862. This battle was the first naval battle between ironclad warships. These ships were warships that were covered in iron plates. The clash was between U.S.S Monitor and the Merrimack. The battle was also one of the Confederates plan to break through the Union’s Southern ports. In the end, the battle was inconclusive and both sides claimed victory since the ships were impenetrable.
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The Battle of Shiloh took place in Tennessee from April 6 to April 7, 1862. The battle was initiated by the Confederate Army when they launched a surprise attack on the Union Forces. The attack succeeded, but the Union Troops were able to push the Confederates back resulting in victory for the Union. The battle caused many casualties from both sides with 23,000 total casualties.
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The Battle of Fort Donelson took place on April 16, 1862 in Tennessee. Union General Ulysses S. Grant began his assault on Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River. The Confederates failed to break through the Union lines causing the Confederates to relinquish the fort and surrender. The Union victory helped open up Tennessee to the Union and prevented the Confederates from taking over Kentucky.
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The Second Battle of Bull Run was a battle that took place from August 29 to 30, 1862 near Manassas in Virginia. John Pope commanded his Union troops to wait for George McClellan’s army to attack the Confederates together. Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided to attack first with half of his army. After the rest of the Confederates arrived, they caused Pope to withdraw his army back to Washington.
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The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, occurred on September 17, 1862 at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. All of General Lee’s troops were worn-out and hungry, and many being sick. The Union army outnumbered the confederates two to one, but both sides suffered losses. The next day, Lee retreated with his army and McClellan did nothing to stop the Confederates. This would eventually cause President Lincoln to remove McClellan from command on November 5.
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The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. It declared that on January 1st, 1862, all slaves engaged in rebellion against the Union were freed. However, the Emancipation Proclamation only applied to Confederate slaves so slaves loyal to the Union were not freed.
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The Battle of Fredericksburg was a battle that occurred on December 13, 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In the battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee defended against multiple attacks from Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army. This was one of the most decisive losses for the Union Forces and it hurt the North’s Morale.
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The Battle of Chancellorsville took place from April 30 to May 6, 1863 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. In the battle, Confederate General Robert E. Lee took a risk by going against an army twice the size of his. Lee split his army into two which allowed him to overpower Union General Joseph Hooker’s Army. The battle is famous for being one of the Confederacy's most significant victories.
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The Siege of Vicksburg was a battle that took place from May 18 to July 4, 1863. This siege was one of the most successful campaigns for the Union Army. Union Forces wanted to take the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Union was able to take control of this stronghold which was a critical supply route for the Confederates.
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The Battle of Gettysburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This battle was one of the most important engagements of the Civil War since it was a major turning point. On July 1, 1863, the Confederates advanced into Pennsylvania meeting the Union army. On July 3, Confederate General Robert E. Lee, ordered an attack of 15,000 troops. This attack, which was known as “Pickett’s Charge,” failed the break through causing thousands of casualties. Lee was forced to withdraw on July 4.
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The Battles for Chattanooga were a series of battles that lasted from November 23 to November 25, 1863 in Tennessee. Union forces would defeat the Confederate troops at the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. This would force the Confederates back into Georgia which led to Union victory.
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The Petersburg Campaign, also known as the Siege of Petersburg, consisted of many battles that lasted from June 1864 to March 1865 in southern Virginia. The campaign was fought in trenches that were more than 30 miles long. Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s army and Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s would fight for 9 months until the Confederates started running out of supplies. This would force Lee to retreat eventually leading to his surrender at Appomattox Court House.
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The Fort Pillow Massacre took place in Tennessee on April 12, 1864. At first, the fort was surrounded by Union troops. The fort’s commander was killed eventually leading to Union defeat. The Confederates refused to take the Union troops as prisoners of war and decided to massacre all of the soldiers at the fort. After this event, the Union would refuse to participate in prisoner exchanges.
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The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was a battle that lasted from May 7 to May 21 of 1864. On May 7, Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s Army met Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army at the crossroads town of Spotsylvania Court House. The Union force would be able to break through the Confederate’s line, but the Confederates were able to hold their ground. Finally, Grant withdrew his troops. In the end, there were 18,000 Union and 11,000 Confederate Casualties
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The Appomattox Court House is where General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to General Ulysses S. Grant. This caused the end of the Civil War. All of the troops would be pardoned. Their personal belongings would be returned then they would be sent home.
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On the evening of April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor. The assassination happened only five days after the Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army. It led to a huge manhunt with 10,000 federal troops, detectives, and police all trying to track down the killer.
