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Lincoln wins in a landslide against opponent Stephen Douglas. In the South, rumors of secession begin; they are afraid Lincoln will abolish slavery.
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Confederates take control of a South Carolina fort. First shots of the war.
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Confederate victory and first real battle of the war
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The Union successfully invades North Carolina from the sea, as they try to suffocate the south.
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Robert E.Lee is granted full control of the Confederate armies.
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Union win the famous battle, but lose more men than the Confederates do.
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It is an essential draw; bloodiest battle of the war and single bloodiest day in American history- more than the amount of people who died on D-Day.
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A new general ,'Stonewall' Jackson, appears.
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Lincoln issues his famous Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the South, won’t affect much until end of war.
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Union forces defeat Lee at Battle of Gettysburg
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Ulysses S. Grant captures Vicksburg after long siege
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Long, bloody fighting between Lee and Grant in (you guessed it) wilderness, or dense forests. Union pyrrhic victory- strategic victory, but lost more men-- near Cold harbor, Grant lost 7,000 men in 20 minutes flat-- that's nearly six dead every second!
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Lincoln is re-elected-- the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
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Sherman reaches the Gulf of Mexico, leaving a trail of utter destruction
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Hopelessly outnumbered, Lee surrenders to Grant at Apopomattox Courthouse.