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Fight for Slavery
Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis argues that the government can not prohibit slavery to the Senate. He even goes as far to say that the government has to protect slavemasters in an attempt to unify the Democratic Party. -
Lincoln's Speech
Running for presidency, President Lincoln delivers a speech at Copper Union. It is said that supposedly this speech helped the president get elected, perhaps because of his great oratory skills. He attacks the practice of slavery and convinced the people that the government could do away with slavery. -
Democratic Convention of 1860
Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina many Democrats are split between the issue of slavery when selecting presidential candidates. A few representatives even proceed to leave, demonstrating how slavery was a major concern at the time. -
Jackson In Charge of Harper's Ferry
General Thomas Jackson is put in command of Harper's Ferry, which will be the site of a few battles as it is considered a strategic location. Also, the location was the site of the raid by radical abolitionist John Brown who caught the attention of a nation. -
Abraham Lincoln elected as President of the United States
Abraham Licoln recieves 180 popular votes as well as 1,865,593 popular votes. The opponents he faced included Douglass, Breckinridge, and Bell. Much of the South is angered by this because they don't feel that they have a large enough voice in the government. The North and South grow further apart as tensions grow. -
James Chesnut Resigns
James Chesnut becomes the first United States Senator to resign. He was a Southerner and like many others, thought the North was infringing upon their freedom. -
Crittenden Compromise
Unsuccessful proposal by U.S. Senator John Crittenden that aimed to resolve the secession crisis. A large reason of why it was unsuccessful was because it stated that Congress could not do anything about slavery in states where it was legal. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina secedes from the Union on this day for a variety of reasons, such as the lack of governmental power. The last straw comes when Abraham Lincoln is elected. In the following weeks, six more states will secede. -
Major Anderson Relocates Forces
During the night , Major Anderson moves himself and his forces to Fort Sumter which he believes to be more secure. -
Path to Freedom
Harriet Tubman arrives in Auburn, New York for her last mission on the Underground Railroad. One of the most influential American figures, Harriet Tubman evaded capture for eight years while changing lives of slaves through the use of the Underground Railroad. -
Birth of The Confederacy
As Southern states leave the Union, they band together to form the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis is elected as the first and last President of the Confederacy. -
Lincoln Inauguration and His Warning
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth President of the United States. However, given the recent course of events he gives a warning to the South that he will not tolerate secession. -
Constitution of the Confederacy
The Constitution of the Confederacy is adopted on this day and will serve as the supreme law. Most importantly, this constitution is the same as the United States Constitution except for differences regarding slavery. -
War Begins
While Major Anderson demands for reinforcements from Lincoln, the South grows bold. Fort Sumter is bombarded by cannon fire from warships. Although there were no casualties this officially starts the Civil War. -
Robert E. Lee Turns Down Offer to Command Union Forces
Robert E. Lee turns down the offer of commanding forces of the Union. Although Lee did not agree with some policies of the South, such as slavery, it was his moral duty. Being born in Virginia, he refused to go against his home state which was a part of the Confederacy. -
Anaconda Plan
Union General Winfield Scott presents his Anaconda Plan in hopes of quickly thwarting the Confederate rebellion when conflict would break out. The Anaconda Plan was a three part plan that would have ships blockade Confederate ports followed by troops who would capture forts. The plan will only be implemented later in the war. -
Richmond becomes the Capital of the Confederacy
The city of Richmond, Virginia becomes the capital of the Confederate States of America, where Jefferson Davis and Congress resides. This means both Washington D.C. and Richmond are only 100 miles away from each other. Both sides will try to invade each other's capitals as it is believed capturing the capital means ending the war. -
Secession of North Carolina
On this day North Carolina seceded from the Union, being the last as well as the eleventh state to do so. -
Authorization of the Union Army
Lincoln begins to feel that conflict is near and requests Congress to enlist a Union Army. Congress responds by calling for 500,000 men. -
Battle of Bull Run
Union General Irvin McDowell gets first blood by striking the left flank of the Confederate Army on Matthews Hill. However, due to the reluctance of the Union and superior leadership with the South, the Confedrates emerge victorious in the first major battle of the war. -
Capture of Fort Henry and Donelson
With the firepower of 4 ironclad gunships, General Ulysses S. Grant captures Confederate forts Henry and Donelson. These only further help the Union cause as it allows Grant to move in and invade Tennessee. It is during these battles that Grant earns the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" as that is the only thing he would accept at the end of a battle. -
President Davis Inaugurated
Ironically, Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America on the birthday of George Washington. -
Suspension of Habeas Corpus
Jefferson Davis orders martial law within a ten mile radius around the city of Richmond and suspends habeas corpus. This suspension is meant to discourage the rioting that took place to due the draft. President Lincoln will carry out the same suspension in the North -
Battle of Hampton Roads
Marking the first battle to feature ironclad ships, the battle will drastically change naval warfare. The Confederate ship the Merrimack manages to lay a crippling blow to the Northern ship the Monitor by striking the wheelhouse. However, there is no clear winner as the Merrimack retreats after suffering a leak. -
Battle of Shiloh
Confederate forces almost succeed in pushing back Union forces to the Tennesse River. However, the arrival of Buell's reinforcements negate the chances of a Confedrate victory. It is at this battle that Ulyssess S. Grant will start to make a legacy for himself. Nonetheless, both sides are shocked by the violence of the battle. -
Confederate Senate Orders a Conscription
Trying to muster more troops for the South, a bill that calls for the enlistment of specifically white males between the ages of 18 to 35. There is heavy opposition ti the bill, similar to the response that will occur in the North because of a similar bill. -
Union Gains Substantial Control of Mississippi River
Union forces surround Forts St. Phillip and Jackson who are isolated and have no other choice but to surrender. The Anaconda Plan seems to be in effect as the Union controls the part of the Mississippi River below New Orleans. -
Confederates Try to Persuade France
Commissioners of the Confederate States of America try to persuade Napoleon III of France to help end the Union blockade. Despite offering cotton in exchange for help, the South is not able to gain a formidable ally. -
Battle of Antietam
Both Robert E. Lee and George McClellan face off in this battle which was the first to be fought in the north. Although considered a Northern victory, McClellan was criticized for not attempting to chase Lee's retreating army. Furthermore, this is the bloodiest single day in America to date with more than 22,000 casualties total. -
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues this speech in order to inform that by January 1,1863 all slaves are free. At this time in his life, the president believes abolition was a great military strategy and helped to preserve freedom of the human race. -
Emancipation Proclamation
On this day, Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation that frees slaves in territories captured by the Union. It also encourages African Americans to enlist for their freedom, which they do and show they're capable of doing. -
Burnside Resigns
Attempting to launch a second offensive against Lee, General Burnside faces harsh weather and behavior from his fellow officers. He offers to resign and President Lincoln has him replaced. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
While the South is the victor at the end of the engagement, they pay the price through heavy casualties. One of these is Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson who was mistaken to be the enemy and shot by his very own forces. Mortally wounded, Lee remarks that the loss of such a talented leader was "like losing my right arm". -
Stonewall Jackson dies
Succumbing to his wounds he suffered days ago, his demise comes from an infection that led to pneumonia. The South loses a war hero and an edge in the battlefield given Stonewall Jackson's prowess on the battlefield. -
Lincoln Orders a Draft
Days before the Battle of Gettysburg President Lincoln orders a draft in the state of Conneticutt. It specifically said that men between the ages of 18 to 45 were to be enlisted in local miltias. -
Turning Point: Battle of Gettysburg
Although fighting commences on July 1st, the battle lasts for three days. The South hoped to prevail with the famous Pickett's Charge. Instead the North regains ground and forces a retreat. Often considered the turning point of the Civil War, this is the closest Robert E. Lee will get to invading the North. -
Siege of Vicksburg
After facing prolonged attacks, Lt. General John Pemberton surrenders his forces and Vicksburg to Union forces. The loss of Vicksburg splits Confederate forces in half as the North gains control of the Mississippi River. -
New York Draft Riots
While initially aimed at frustration to the mandatory enlistment of men for the draft and the fact that wealthier men are allowed to pay a $300 commutation fee to hire someone in their place. However, the ordeal turns into a race riot and Lincoln has to send troops to control the city. In the aftermath, a total of 119 people are dead. -
Battle of Chickamauga
Fought between the Army of Cumberland and the Confederate Army of Tennessee, the plan was to force Confederate forces out of Chattanooga. The South prevails, but at the cost of the highest casualties of any battle in the Western Theater for both sides. -
Gettysburg Address
One of the most well known speeches in American history, Lincoln delivers this speech in memory of the soldiers who perished months ago at the battle of Gettysburg. He also states that the Civil War is not just a struggle for the North, but for human equality as well. -
Pomeroy Circular
Radical Republicans led by Samuel C. Pomeroy sign this document to elect Samuel C. Chase as the presidential nominee instead of Lincoln for the next election. They believe that the President Lincoln is being too lenient on the South. -
President Lincoln Lowers the Penalty for Desertion
Lincoln changes the punishment of desertion from death to imprisonment, most likely in order to quell further rioting. -
Union Soldiers Arrive at Andersonville
Union prisoners of war arrive at the infamous Andersonville prison camp in Georgia. Officially known as Camp Sumter, the prison camp is one of the few examples of war crimes taking place during the Civil War, where prisoners basically lived in a swamp and little access to clean water or food. The commander of this camp will be executed for war crimes when the war is over. -
Plot to Kill Jefferson Davis
While attempting to sneak into Richmond in order to free prisoners from prison camps, Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren and the 200 men with him are killed. Papers found on his body indicate a plot to burn the city and assassinate Jefferson Davis. The orders were given to him by Union Cavalry General Hugh J. Kilpatrick. -
Grant in Command of All Union Forces
Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant as Commander of all Union Forces. He will serve this position for the remainder of the war. -
Fort Pillow Massacre
Confederate Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest and his troops takeover Fort Pillow and kill about 300 soldiers with the majority of them being black. As a result, the North refuses to do prisoner exchanges for the South. -
Atlanta Falls
Sherman and his Union soldiers capture Atlanta. A huge triumph, to say the least as Atlanta was the industrial hub of the Confederacy and it's capture will mean the Confederacy will have less to work with. More importantly, it crushes the morale of the South, as Atlanta can be considered the heart of the South and the Confederacy. -
Sherman's "March to Sea" Begins
On this day, Union General Tecumseh Sherman will start his "March to the sea" which will span 265 miles and will take both him and his soldiers from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. Sherman's main reason for the march is to intimidate Georgia's population into abandoning the Confederate cause. -
Battle of Nashville
Union forces led by General George Thomas nearly destroy the Confederate Army of Tennesse. This battle is mainly a disaster for Confederate General John Bell Hood who was questioned for going against the fortified city of Nashvill as well as a fighting force almost double the size of his. -
Capture of Savannah
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman presents the city of Savannah as President Lincoln's Christmas present. The city of Savannah was one of the last major cities under Confederate control and the capture of the city marks the end of Sherman's "March to Sea". -
Thirteenth Amendment
The House of Representatives along with the Senate pass the Thirteenth Amendment. The significance of this law sees the end of slavery as an accepted practice in the United States. -
Davis Allows Slaves to Fight
In Richmond, President Jefferson Davis signs a document allowing African Americans to enlist in Confederate forces. Facing dwindling supplies and men, this documents purpose is to retain any sort of fighting force as defeat for the Confederacy nears. -
Fall of Richmond
Union forces capture the capital of the Confederacy, located in Virginia. Robert E. Lee evacuated the city on his own accord as it would be easier for him to navigate as he believed he could prolong the war for another two years. However, the city would be ravaged by fires as soldiers and citizens alike abandoned the city. -
Surrender at Appomattox
After being cut off from going down south, Robert E. Lee then heads west. Again he is surrounded by Union troops near the Appomattox Court House in the village of the same name. When escape proves futile, Lee finally surrenders to Grant's forces. -
Assassination of Lincoln
Five days after General Lee surrenders his army, actor John Wilkes Booth fatally shoots President Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head in Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. John Wilkes Booth was a supporter of the Confederacy and his actions were largely a desperate attempt to save the Confederate States of America. -
John Wilkes Booth Killed
Surrounded by Union troops at Garrett's Farm, John Wilkes Booth's accomplice surrenders while he remains defiant. As the barn is set ablaze to coax Booth out, who proceeds to climb over the barn door. As he is doing this he is shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett in the back of the head, and dies shortly after -
Jefferson Davis Locked Up
Former President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis is locked up in Fort Monroe. Unfortunately, he is never given a fair trial, perhaps because of his role in the war and the blame he is given by those living in the war. -
President Johnson Releases Prisoners
With a few exceptions such as Jefferson Davis, President Johnson releases all Confederate prisoners from prisoner of war camps. -
Henry Wirz Hanged
One of a few to be hung for war crimes in the Civil War, Henry Wirz was hung on this day. Being the commander of the Confedrate prison camp known as Andersonville, the worst prison during the war, many are shocked by the atrocities committed there. Finding somebody to blame Henry Wirz is eventually found guilty and set to be executed. -
Formation of the Ku Klux Klan
Six Confederate veterans create this organization in Pulaski, Tennessee while the South is in the Reconstruction Era, devastated by the Civil War. There main goal is to overthrow the new government that they face by resorting to hate crimes and the lynching of African Americans in the name of white supremacy. The first leader, known as a grand wizard, is rumored to be Nathan Bedford Forrest who was a Confederate genral during the war. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Being the first federal law if it's kind, it states that all U.S. citizens are equally protected by the law. This is another step in gaining rights for all African Americans. -
Memphis Riots
Beginning with an altercation between white policemen and black Union soldiers, everything erupts into violence. Black neighborhoods are ravaged as white civilians and police alike look for vengeance. Federal troops are able to end fighting on May 3rd. -
Mayor Monroe Reinstated
After Union martial law is lifted, Mayor John T. Monroe will be reinstated as mayor of New Orleans, which he had been before the war had started. Mayor Monroe is most notably remembered for playing a part in he New Orleans race riots of 1866. -
Fourteenth Amendment Passed
On this day Congress passes the Fourteenth Amendment which grants all citizens equal protection of the law and equal rights. The amendment is made in order to give former slaves the same basic rights as others. -
Tennessee Readmitted to the Union
Tennessee becomes the first Southern state to be Readmitted into the Union with the help of President Lincoln. Unfortunately, Radical Republicans in Congress will only make it harder for Southern states to be readmitted into the Union. Their motive is to punish the South because of the Civil War. -
Grant Named First General of the Army
Congress gives the title of First General of the Army to Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was given the rank of Union Commander in 1864 and was successful due to his fierce mentality. He would later become president. -
New Orleans Race Riots
Starting with African Americans protesting outside a Louisiana Conventional Convention for better voting rights ended in a race riot. The conflict was started when Mayor Monroe organized a group of ex-Confederate soldiers to attack the protestors. -
Presidential Proclamation
Andrew Johnson wrote and signed this document after fighting in Texas had ceased. It assured the American public that civil order had been restored to America and that the United States was whole again. -
Douglass becomes First African American Delegate
Frederick Douglass becomes the first black delegate at a convention. Douglass would become one of the most influential figures of the abolitionist movement. Besides his great public speeches, his own personal narrative exposed Americans to the brutal practices of slavery. -
House of Representatives Election
Despite the efforts of President Andrew Johnson, the Republican Party wins in a landslide. It will only make Johnson's job harder as Congress is mostly composed of Radical Republicans who are at odds with the president regarding Reconstruction in the South. -
African Americans Right to Vote
In Washington D.C., Congress allows African American men to vote despite the veto from President Johnson. -
Peabody Fund
Started by George Peabody, the purpose of the fund was to provide education to the poorest regions of the South. It's reasoning for being started was largely the destruction that had been caused during the Civil War and would only benefit white children. -
Department of Education
United States Congress creates the Department of Education in order to collect information and statistics from schools. -
First Reconstruction Act Passed
U.S. Congress passes the First Reconstruction Act, the first of four, the purposes of which that will aim to keep Southern states under control. The purpose of the first act was to split the ten Southern states into five military districts. Virginia was the first district; North Carolina and South Carolina were the second; Georgia, Alabama, and Florida the third district; Mississippi and Arkansas the fourth district; Louisiana and Texas the fifth district. -
Second Reconstruction Act
Being passed despite President Johnson's attempts to veto it, the Second Reconstruction Act is passed. Expanding on the first, it placed military commanders to act as governors over the five districts. It also required that office holders in the South had to recite an oath as well as changes to voting. This was meant to make it harder for ex-Confederates to have less of an impact in the government. -
U.S. Purchases Alaska
In a deal that was stalled by the Civil War, the U.S. buys Alaska from Russia for the price of $7,200,000 or 2 cents per acre. Despite this price, some of the American people criticize the decision, calling it "Seward's Folly". -
Third Reconstruction Act
Giving supreme control to the five Union generals in control of the districts.These generals were given ultimate power as they could remove any official from office if they were thought to have been hampering with the process of Reconstruction. These acts will push Southern citizens over the edge who will result to violence through the Ku Klux Klan. -
African Americans Vote For First Time
In a United States state election in the South African Americans are granted the right to vote. The voting occurs in the state of Tennessee, which happened to be the only state in the South that ratified the Fourteenth Amendment, thereby avoiding the Reconstruction Acts. -
Johnson Suspends Stanton
President Johnson suspends Secretary of War Edward Stanton regarding policies about Reconstruction in the South. Stanton was a Radical Republican who wanted harsher policies implemented in Southern states while Johnson was in disagreement. -
First Black University
With the help of Congress the first all African American college is created in Washington D.C. named Howard U.
