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The Election of 1860
Four candidates ran for president in 1860: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell. Lincoln defeated Douglas in the North while Breckinridge carried most of the South. Because the North had more people in it than the South, Lincoln won the election and became the 16th President of the United States. -
Southern States Secede
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. During the next six weeks, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas also seceded. -
The Confederate States of America
The states that had seceded met in Montgomery, Alabama and formed the Confederate States of America. The convention named Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy. -
Firing on Fort Sumter
President Lincoln sent ships to restock supplies for a Union garrison stationed at Fort Sumter. The Confederates fired on Fort Sumter before the ships arrived and forced the Union garrison to surrender after 34 hours. The South’s attack on Fort Sumter was the beginning of the Civil War. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. After fighting all day, neither army gained any ground, but 25,000 men were dead or wounded. Confederate General Robert E. Lee withdrew to Virginia after losing one-third of his fighting force. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This executive order issued by President Lincoln freed all slaves in Confederate territory. However, it actually freed very few slaves because most of the slaves Lincoln had intended to liberate lived in areas distant from the Union troops that could enforce his proclamation. -
The Siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg was a major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. After direct attacks failed, Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s troops surrounded the city and prevented the delivery of food and supplies. A month and a half later, the Confederates ran out of food and surrendered. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
Union and Confederate forces fought for three days on the rocky hills and fields around Gettysburg. During the struggle, Union forces tried to hold their ground on Cemetery Ridge while Confederate soldiers tried to dislodge them. On the third day, Confederate General Robert E. Lee ordered General George Pickett to directly attack the Union line which proved to be a deadly mistake. The Confederates retreated, and the Union rejoiced over the victory. -
The Battle of Fort Wagner
Union troops launched an unsuccessful attack on the Confederate fortress of Fort Wagner. The battle was a Confederate victory with about 1,500 Union soldiers and 175 Confederate soldiers killed or wounded. William Carney became the first African American solider to receive the Medal of Honor for recovering and returning the U.S. flag to Union lines. -
The Battle of Fort Fisher
Union General Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault on Fort Fisher, a Confederate stronghold in North Carolina. Ground and naval Union forces attacked the fort and became victorious. Philip Bazaar was a Chilean immigrant assigned to the USS Santiago de Cuba. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle. -
Lee Surrenders at Appomattox Court House
After several Union victories, Confederate General Robert E. Lee knew his situation was hopeless. He sent a message to Union General Ulysses S. Grant that he was ready to surrender. Grant and Lee met in the small Virginia town of Appomattox Court House to arrange the surrender. After four long years, the Civil War finally ended. -
Abraham Lincoln is Assassinated
Five days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, President Lincoln and his wife went to see a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. During the play, Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth snuck into the President’s balcony and shot him in the back of the head. Lincoln died the next morning and became the first president to be assassinated. His murder shocked the nation and caused intense grief.
