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The Firing at Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle of the Civil War, when Confederate forces attacked the Northern Fort in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The South, already a self-proclaimed country, attacked this fort as a way of saying, "This is our country; get out."
There were no deaths, besides that of a Confederate horse. This whole event caused even more states to seceed. Needless to say, the Civil War had begun. -
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The Timespan of the Civil War
The Civil War, the bloodiest in American history, lasted for four years. The Confederacy disbanded and became a part of the United States again, and slavery was officially done for; however, this did not in any way end racial discrimination. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run took place near Washington D.C. This was the first bloody battle of the war, and a Confederate victory. Over 3,000 Union soldiers died opposed to the 2,000 Confederates. This clash dissolved the hopes of having a quick end to the war. The battle took place in Manassas, Virginia, and people actually came to watch this battle. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (who wasn't even a general at the time) gained fame in this battle. -
The Battle of Shiloh
In the West, General Ulysses S. Grant was taking on Confederate forces. At the Battle of Shiloh, Confederate troops took Grant by surprise and pushed the army back, but soon more Union troops arrived and forced the Confederates to surrender. This was the Union's first when. Over 23,000 people die in this battle. -
The Capturing of New Orleans
The Union, led by David Farragut, working its way into the Confederacy by the Western side, decided to take over key areas in the deep South. They started off by capturing New Orleans, a major port. This also helped their strategy of taking the Mississippi River, in an effort to split some of the South in half. This was a huge development for the Union and became their "highway." -
The Seven Day's Battle
A costly Confederate victory, also known as the "Battle of the Penninsula" this battle was not an easy one for the Union as the Confederates had a new general; General Robert E. Lee, a former Union military man. Lee introduced a brand-new war strategy and it ensured that the war was going to be a really long one. -
The Second Battle of Bull Run
A Confederate victory, Lee and "Stonewall" took General John Pope by surprised and pushed Union forces back while they were trying to take over Richmond, Virginia again. 14,000 Union soldiers died and 8,000 Confederate soldiers died. A bunch of slaves were able to escape to the North because of Union presence there. -
The Battle of Antietam
On September 17, 1862, General Lee got cocky and hoped to win a victory on Union soil (Maryland)- a big mistake. The Battle of Antietam remains one of the bloodiest single-day battles in American history. Over 23,000 people died. Lee lost one-third of his men, and was forced to retreat- though in the end, it was a draw. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
This proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, stated that all slaves in nonoccupied areas, meaning not Northern areas, were free on January 1, 1863. The Union hadn't won much in the Civil War, and this document was issues to show the people of the Union that "This is what happens when the Union wins something." -
The Writ of Habeas Corpus
Habeas Corpus says that you have to be arrested with a reason. This is often removed during times of war, as it was in the Civil War times. Many people protested this, but there wasn't anything one could do about it. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
In this battle, General Lee advanced into Pennslyvania. Confederate and Union troops both fought hard. The Confederates pushed the Union back, only resulting in being violently assaulted the next day. This is the bloodiest battle of the Civil War with over 50,000 casualities. The Confederate forces retreated the same day Grant took over Vicksburg, making for a Union victory. -
The Siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg, a heavily guarded fort in Mississippi, was standing in the way of the Union's plans to take over the Mississippi. Grant wouldn't stand for this, and July 4, 1863, the Confederates surrendered over the fort. -
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in American history with his famous Gettysburg address. This was given in dedication to Union forces accomplishing a win with the Civil War. -
The Siege of Petersburg
Finally, our broken nation was coming to the end of the Civil War. Lee was losing battles left and right. When the siege of Petersburg, a town just South of Richmond, occured, the war was wrapping itself up. -
Sherman's March
Led by General William Tecumseh Sherman, this campaign took place after winning the Battle of Atlanta, on July 22 1864. Sherman orders the evacuation of the city so he can burn Atlanta down in order to help the South feel the burn of loss. After taking the city, Sherman heads south towards Savannah and burns that as well.
This march, while it was under Sherman's order, things like rape, murder, plundering, and obsessive burning to innocent civillians. Sherman believed this helped end the war. -
Sherman's March Part 2
This victory at Atlanta helped Lincoln get re-elected. From November to December, Sherman's bloody march to the sea took place during this time. The Southerners, meanwhile, were poor and starving. This march was scarring for children, as Santa Claus is now being potrayed as a Union man. -
Appomattox Courthouse
The formal end of the war, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. Lee and Grant met up in Appomattox to discuss the end of the war. This event ushers in Reconstruction in order to rebuild this shattered nation, brick by brick.
