-
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated. At the time, he did not have plans to end slavery in states where it was already a stable occurrence. He did want to solve issues in the country though without warfare, which didn’t happen.
-
President Lincoln plans to send supplies to Fort Sumter, in South Carolina, to avoid having war with them, as a compromise, but the people of the fort did not take it this way. Not trusting the President, after using all the gifts, the head of Sumter, Robert Anderson, offers a surrender. This offer is denied and shots are fired onto the fort.
-
To block out the Confederacy (alliance of states in the South) the North build a blockade of navy ships in July. The South responds by manufacturing small ships that can work around this wall.
-
President Lincoln issued a war order authorizing the Union to launch a unified action against Confederacy. General McClellan, however, ignored his order
-
President Lincoln grew impatient with General McClellan’s idleness and issued an order reorganizing the Army of Virginia and relieved McClellan of supreme command. McClellan was given command of the Army of the Potomac instead and planned to attack Richmond.
-
Due to McClellan’s slow movements along with General Lee’s escape, many people were dismayed in the North. On November 7, Lincoln replaced McClellan with Ambrose E. Burnside. Burnside's forces were defeated by attacks against Confederate forces at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Burnside was then replaced with Joseph Hooker.
-
Because of enlisting difficulties, an act called the Conscription act was passed. This made men between the age of 20 and 45 liable for military services
-
General Lee divided his army, attacking a Union army in surprise, in three places and almost thoroughly defeating them.
-
There was an encounter between Union and Confederate Forces, and they began the battle of Gettysburg. During the fight that followed, Meade had greater in numbers and had better defensive positions. Meade won the battle, but he failed to retreat back to Virginia
-
General Grant promoted to commander of the Union armies and planned to engage Lee’s forces in Virginia until they were destroyed. Later on, Lee forced casualties on the Union Forces.
-
Confederate General Jubal had led his forces to Maryland to relieve pressure off of Lee’s army. Later on in July 13, he was directed back to Virginia.
-
President Lincoln is re-elected by the Republican party as Presidential candidate, and Andrew Johnson as vice-president. But Lincoln was lost by the Wade-Davis bill who thought that he was too forgiving.
