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The South Secedes
When Abraham Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, was elected president, the South Carolina legislature perceived a threat. -
The South Creates a Government.
At a convention in Montgomery, Alabama, the seven seceding states created the Confederate Constitution, a document similar to the United States Constitution, but with greater stress on the autonomy of each state. -
The South Seizes Federal Forts.
When President Buchanan -- Lincoln's predecessor -- refused to surrender southern federal forts to the seceding states, southern state troops seized them. At Fort Sumter, South Carolina troops repulsed a supply ship trying to reach federal forces based in the fort. The ship was forced to return to New York, its supplies undelivered. -
Lincoln's Inauguration.
At Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, the new president said he had no plans to end slavery in those states where it already existed, but he also said he would not accept secession. He hoped to resolve the national crisis without warfare -
Four More States Join the Confederacy.
The attack on Fort Sumter prompted four more states to join the Confederacy. With Virginia's secession, Richmond was named the Confederate capitol. -
Attack on Fort Sumter.
When President Lincoln planned to send supplies to Fort Sumter, he alerted the state in advance, in an attempt to avoid hostilities. South Carolina, however, feared a trick; the commander of the fort, Robert Anderson, was asked to surrender immediately -
West Virginia Is Born.
Residents of the western counties of Virginia did not wish to secede along with the rest of the state. This section of Virginia was admitted into the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. -
Four Slave States Stay in the Union
Despite their acceptance of slavery, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri did not join the Confederacy. Although divided in their loyalties, a combination of political maneuvering and Union military pressure kept these states from seceding -
First Battle of Bull Run.
View of the battlefield,
First Bull Run,
Virginia, July 1861 July 1861 -- First Battle of Bull Run.
Public demand pushed General-in-Chief Winfield Scott to advance on the South before adequately training his untried troops. Scott ordered General Irvin McDowell to advance on Confederate troops stationed at Manassas Junction, Virginia. -
General McDowell Is Replaced.
Suddenly aware of the threat of a protracted war and the army's need for organization and training, Lincoln replaced McDowell with General George B. McClellan. -
A Blockade of the South
To blockade the coast of the Confederacy effectively, the federal navy had to be improved. By July, the effort at improvement had made a difference and an effective blockade had begun. The South responded by building small, fast ships that could outmaneuver Union vessels. -
Abraham Lincoln Takes Action
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McClellan Loses Command.
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The Peninsular Campaign.
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The Battle of Shiloh.
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New Orleans.
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"Stonewall" Jackson Defeats Union Forces.
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The Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks).
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The Seven Days' Battles.
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Emancipation Proclamation.
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The First Conscription Act.
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The Battle of Chancellorsville.
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The Battle of Spotsylvania.
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The Vicksburg Campaign.
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The Gettysburg Campaign.
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The Battle of Chickamauga
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The Fall of the Confederacy.
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Winter Quarters at Brandy Station
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Grant's Wilderness Campaign
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The Battle of Cold Harbor.
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The Siege of Petersburg
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Confederate Troops Approach Washington, D.C.
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General William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign.
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General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea.
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Abraham Lincoln Is Re-Elected
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-- The Fall of the Confederacy.
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A Chance for Reconciliation Is Lost.
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Sherman Marches through North and South Carolina.
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Fallen Richmond.