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Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee was the leading Confederate General during the Civil War and was known as a hero in the south. Even though the Union won the war, many people still admire his military tactics. He was saved from being hanged as a traitor and he returned to his family. He died of a massive stroke, surrounded by family. Lee is significant to war because he was the Commander of the Confederate troops during the Civil War. -
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Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis had a distinguished military career in the U.S., and served as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce. After the southern states seceded, Davis became president of the Confederacy. He was later accused of treason, but was never tried and died a southern hero. Davis is significant to leadership because he was the president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, and held positions of leadership in the United States before that. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and the president who saw the country through the Civil War. Lincoln ran for president in 1860, promising to prevent the spread of slavery to new territories, but saying he would not touch slavery where it already existed. Lincoln was assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln is significant to leadership because he was an excellent leader for the U.S. during the war. -
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Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant served as a United States general and commander of the Union troops during the later years of the Civil War. He later became the 18th president of the United States. His administration as president was marked with scandal. Grant went bankrupt in his later years and sold stories about his life to earn money for his family. He is significant to war because he was Commander of the Union army during the Civil War. -
WIlmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was introduced to resolve the slavery issue in the territories acquired by the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Pennsylvania Congressman, David Wilmot, suggested the newly acquired territory remain slave-free, as it was when Mexico controlled it. The suggestion was shot down by southern states, but it brought the controversy of slavery to a new high. This is significant to leadership because David Wilmot brought forward a solution to slavery in the Mexican Cession area. -
Compromise of 1850
When California asked to enter the Union as a free state, Congress was worried the balance between free and slave states would be upset. Henry Clay offered solutions to avoid a conflict between these states while admitting California. The Compromise resulted in California being admitted, an amendment to the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Washington D.C. slave trade being abolished. This is significant to leadership because Henry Clay offered a solution to the slavery issue in this territory. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a bill that allowed settlers to use 'popular sovereignty' to decide whether their state would be free or slave. The bill overturned the Missouri Compromise's use of latitude as the boundary between slave and free states. As settlers from all over the Union flocked to Kansas and Nebraska to try and sway them in their favor, violence broke out. This is significant to leadership because 'popular sovereignty' was an important idea in the Union and a cause of the Civil War -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who spent time in free states with his owner; he sued for freedom saying he lived in free territory. The court case ruled it was the owner of the slave's right to bring slaves into the territories, the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because it interfered with a man's right to own property, overruled the doctrine of popular sovereignty, and said slaves didn't have the right to sue. This is significant to crisis because the results caused an uproar. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln is elected president during the election of 1860. During his campaign, Lincoln promised to stop the spread of slavery to the new territories, but he would not abolish it from where it already existed. Southerners were unhappy with Lincoln's campaign promises; immediately after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Union. This is significant to crisis because southern states began seceding from the Union and it became obvious there was an impending war. -
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Fort Sumter
Following South Carolina's secession from the Union, the southerners called for U.S. troops to be removed from the state. Fort Sumter remained manned by Union soldiers. When the Union tried to restock the fort with supplies southern soldiers fired on them and the fort. These were the first shots of the Civil War. This is significant to war because it was the beginning of the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
The First Battle of Bull Run (also known as the Battle of Manassas) occurred near Manassas Junction, Virginia. Confederates managed to break the Union lines, sending Union soldiers on a hasty retreat. The Confederate victory gave southerners hope they would win the war and squashed the northern hope that the war would be short. This is significant to war because it was the first major land battle, but the North also began to realize the war would not be short lived. -
Battle of Antietam
Generals Robert E. Lee and George McClellan faced off near Antietam creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Battle of Antietam was the first battle of the Civil War to be fought on northern soil. Even though McClellan didn't use his large number of troops to crush the Confederates, he stopped them from advancing further into the north. This battle is significant to war because it was the single bloodiest day in American history, with more 22,000 casualties. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on the first day of 1863. This document stated that slaves in all of the southern states (with some exclusions) would be freed. The Proclamation is a diplomatic document because it was signed to keep the Confederacy from receiving European aid. By making the war about slavery, Lincoln kept Europe (who had abolished slavery) from helping the south. This is significant to crisis because it was last resort signed to keep the south from getting stronger. -
Election of 1864
Northerners showed their overwhelming support for Lincoln in the election of 1864. Many people weren't happy leading up the reelection. Not everyone liked Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and many people believed there was no hope for the war to be won by military force. Sherman's March gave the Union new hope and Lincoln won the reelection. This is significant to crisis because with Lincoln's reelection, any hope of a peaceful reconciliation with the South disappeared. -
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Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William T. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers across the South in a path of destruction. The march was 265 miles long and stretched from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The destruction greatly weakened the South, both during and after the war. This is significant to war because it was a major move against the Confederacy and brought new hope to the Union. -
Appomattox Courthouse
On April 8, 1865, Union and Confederate forces met at Appomattox court house in the final battle of the Civil War. Confederate troops realized they were cut off from reinforcements and surrendered to the Union troops. Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses S. Grant met and agreed on the terms of surrender. This was the end of the Civil War. This is significant to war because it was the last battle of the Civil War. -
13th Amendment
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” These words culminated all of the efforts of the Civil War and made slavery official illegal. This is significant to leadership because it was important move by the government to prevent the southerners from returning to their old ways. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States". This included freed slaves. The amendment also said that states could not keep people from owning property or living their life without just cause. By including states in the amendment, the government protected the rights of citizens that otherwise would have been unfairly treated. This is significant to leadership because it was an important move by the government to treat blacks fairly. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave African-American men the right to vote. The amendment said all citizens would be granted the right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This is significant to leadership because it was an important move by the government to grant equal rights to all men. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Plessy, a black man, refused to sit in a black car, breaking a Louisiana law. It was taken to the Supreme Court where Plessy argued his rights were violated, but the Court ruled that the law did not break the 13th and 14th amendments. The court said these laws could be enforced within the state, but not on trains that ran between states. The term "separate but equal" was an important part of this case. This is significant to conflict because the decision caused arguments in the Union.