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Attack at Fort Sumter
Abraham Lincoln sent an unarmed ship with supplies to the Union soldiers manning Fort Sumter. The Confederacy took this as a sign of war and attacked the ship, eventually burning the fort. The Union soldiers were outnumbered and were defeated in just 34 hours. This was the trigger of the Civil War. -
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Yaakov Zinberg Civil War Timeline
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The First Battle of Bull Run
Union soldiers attempted to gain control of Manassas, Virginia because it was the location of a very important railroad. The Confederate soldiers were waiting for them at Bull Run and defeated the Union soldiers. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Confederate forces attacked the Union Forces at Shiloh, Tennessee. The Union soldiers were almost defeated by the end of the day, but at night reinforcements arrived and the Union defeated the Confederacy. -
Battle of Antietam
The Confederate Army planned to attack Union territory in Maryland. A Confederate messenger dropped a copy of the battle plans, which was found by a Union soldier. The plans said that the Confederate Army was divided, so General Ulysses S. Grant attacked. The battle lasted a day long and ended in a draw. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This was an order given by Lincoln saying that all slaves from territories that were conquered by the Union are now free. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Union General Joseph Hooker planned an attack on Confederate General Robert Lee’s army in Chancellorsville, Virginia. Although the Confederates were outnumbered 2 to 1, they scored a major victory against the Union. However, expert Confederate general Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own soldiers. -
Gettysburg Address
After the devastating battle of Gettysburg in which 50,000 soldiers in total were either killed or wounded, President Lincoln gave a two minute speech at the dedication. He first spoke about how all men are created equal and that the Civil War is a test of that. He concluded by saying that we will not let those people die in vain. -
Battle of Dalton
Union general George Thomas attacked some of Joseph Johnston’s soldiers in Dalton, Georgia. The Confederate defenses were too strong so the Union backed off. This taught them a valuable lesson not to attack these types of defenses directly but to come from behind. -
Lincoln is Re-elected
Lincoln was convinced that he would lose the election, but a Union victory in Atlanta showed that the war was winnable by the North. -
The South Surrenders
Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert Lee met at the Appomattox Court House to discuss the surrender of the Confederate army. Confederate soldiers had to turn in their weapons, but they were allowed to return home on their animals and were given food. This was not the official end of the Civil War, but it was clear the Union had won and shortly afterward all other Confederate generals surrendered.
