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Abraham Lincoln elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected President, with Hannibal Hamlin as his vice president; -
South Carolina Secedes
As a consequence of Lincoln's election, South Carolina legisl;ature votes to secede from the Union. -
More states secede
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas follow South Carolina’s lead and secede from the Union. -
Star of the West
Star of the West, a merchan vessel secretly carrying federal troups and supplies to Fort Sumter, is fired upon by South Carolina artillery. -
A New State: Kansas
Kansas is admitted as a state with a constitution prohibiting slavery. -
A new President is elected!
Delegates from six seceded states meet in Montgomery, Alabama, to form a government and elect Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States of America. -
First attack!
Fort Sumter is bombarded and surrenders to South Carolina troops led by P. G. T. Beauregard. -
Lincoln asks for help!
Lincoln declares a state of insurrection and calls for 75,000 volunteers to enlist for three months of service. -
More states secede!
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina secede from the Union. -
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is written
Julia Ward Howe, inspired after seeing a review of General McClellan's army in the Virginia countryside near Washington, composes the lyrics to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." It is published in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. -
Battle of Shiloh
Union General Ulysses S. Grant prevails at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee, but not without enormous losses. -
Second Battle of Manassas
The South is again victorious at the Second Battle of Manassas. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, Maryland, exacts heavy losses on both sides. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which declares that slaves in the seceded states are now free. -
Battle of Gettysberg
The Battle of Gettysburg is fought in Pennsylvania. General George G. Meade compromises his victory by allowing Lee to retreat South across the Potomac. -
Union victory at Vicksburg!
After a long siege, Confederates surrender Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant, thus securing the Mississippi River for the Union. -
Gettysberg Address
Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address, in which he reiterates the nation’s fundamental principle that all men are created equal. -
Union victory at Chattanooga
After three days of battle, the Union victory at Chattanooga, Tennessee, opens the way for Union advancement into the heart of the Confederacy. -
Ulysses S. Grant named commander!
Newly commissioned to the rank of lieutenant general, Ulysses S. Grant is given official authority to command all of the armies of the United States. -
Fugitive slave laws repealed!
Lincoln signs a bill repealing the fugitive slave laws. -
Union victory in Atlanta!
After forcing the Confederate army of John Bell Hood out of Atlanta, Georgia, General William T. Sherman captures the city, a major munitions center for the South. -
Union victory at Cedar Creek!
A Union victory at Cedar Creek ends the Confederate threat in the Shenandoah Valley -
Sherman's "March to the Sea" begins!
Sherman leaves Atlanta and begins his “march to the sea,” in an attempt to demoralize the South and hasten surrender. -
Savannah, GA is captured!
Savannah falls to Sherman’s army without resistance. Sherman gives the city to Lincoln as a Christmas present. -
Slavery Ends!
Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolishes slavery throughout the United States. -
Lincoln Elected Again
Abraham Lincoln is elected for a second term! -
End of the Civil War
Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant at Appomattox. This is considered the end of the Civil War. -
Abraham Lincoln is assinated!
Abraham Lincoln is assinated by John Wilkes Booth!
