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Civil War Timeline
Civil War Timeline -
Jefferson Davis Comes Out in Favor of Secession
West Point graduate, veteran, ex-Cabinet member Jefferson Davis ran and was elected for the Senate. While in his position, he came out in favor of the secession of Southern states. -
New England Shoe-Worker's Strike
40,000 shoe-workers marched through city streets to get a living wage. Abraham Lincoln announced his support for the strike. -
Lincoln visits the Five-Points
Abraham Lincoln visits New York City's worst slum, the Five Points. He told the children that he had once been where they had been, and could not finish his speech. -
Cooper Union Speech
A speech given by Abraham Lincoln at Cooper Union, New York City. Lincoln was not yet the nominee for the Republican Party. -
Pony Express
A service that delivered mail, messages, and newspaper via pony. A predecessor to USPS. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected
Abraham Lincoln is elected president of the United States. He would be the 16th president. -
Georgia Calls for a Convention to Discuss Secession
Georgia calls for a Convention of Southern states to discuss secession. Only Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi are invited. -
Crittenden Compromise
An unsuccessful compromise introduced by John J. Crittenden. The compromise attempted to prevent the secession of Southern states. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina secedes from the Union. This was done in retaliation to Lincoln's presidency. -
South Carolina's "Declaration of Independence"
The Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union was issued to explain its reasoning for leaving the union. -
Mississippi Secedes
Mississippi secedes from the Union. This is following South Carolina's secession. -
Florida Secedes
Florida secedes from the Union. They are the third state to do so. -
Alabama Secedes
Alabama secedes from the Union. They secede one day after Florida. -
Georgia Secedes
Georgia secedes from the Union. They secede about a week after Alabama. -
Louisiana Secedes
Louisiana secedes from the Union. They are the sixth state to secede. -
Texas Secedes
Texas secedes from the Union. They are the seventh state to secede. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Lincoln becomes the 16th President of the United States. He represented the Republican Party. -
Virginia Secedes
Virginia secedes from the Union. They secede two and a half months after Texas. -
Arkansas Secedes
Arkansas secedes from the Union. It secedes one month after Virginia. -
North Carolina Secedes
North Carolina secedes from the Union. It is the second to last state to do so, Tennessee is the last state to secede. -
Battle of Mill Springs
A battle fought in Mill Springs, Kentucky. The Union won, weakening the Confederate hold on the state. -
Surrender of Fort Henry
The Confederates surrendered Fort Henry. This opened the Union to the Tennessee River. -
Battle of Roanoke Island
Confederate loss. This led to the Union controlling the Pamlico Sound in eastern North Carolina. -
Battle of Shiloh
The first major battle in Tennessee. It ended with a Union victory. -
Battle of Winchester
Gen. Jackson leads his forces to Winchester, Virginia. They successfully drive out Union forces from the city. -
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond, Virginia. The Commander of the Confederate Army is wounded and replaced by Robert E. Lee. -
Battle of Memphis
Union victory over the Confederates in Memphis, Tennessee. The Union now controls the Mississippi River. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
Fought in the same place where the First Battle of Bull Run occurred. Coincidentally, both battles ended in a Union defeat. -
Battle of Antietam
The bloodiest single day battle. After this battle, Lincoln proposes the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Union forces attempted to cross the Potomac River and sack Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Confederates defeated them. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. Some applaud it, others feel like it doesn't go far enough to end slavery. -
Battle of Stones River
The first battle of 1863. It ends with a Union victory, and Union control over central Tennessee. -
Conscription
The Union begins drafting for soldiers. The Confederates began this practice a year before. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Gen. Lee famously wounded "Stonewall" Jackson, who dies soon after. The Confederates now start to try to move the war North. -
Battle of Brandy Station
The Union attacks Brandy Station and discovers the Confederates are moving West. This marks the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The bloodiest battle of the civil war, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It destroys all of Robert E. Lee's hopes for invading the North. -
Draft Riots
The Draft Riots begin in New York City. Rioters say that the draft system favors the rich, and attack the draft office in Manhattan. -
Chattanooga Occupied by the Union
Union forces occupy Chattanooga, Tennessee. They plan to invade Georgia after. -
The Siege of Chattanooga
Confederate forces surround Chattanooga to drive out the Union forces. The battles lasted for two months. -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln gives his famous speech at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was an official dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery. -
Libby Prison Breakout
109 Union Officers break out of Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. Only 59 make it to Union lines. -
Ulysses S. Grant is Promoted to Lieutenant General
Abraham Lincoln requests that Grant be appointed Lieutenant General. The next day, Grant assumes control of all Union armies. -
Beginning of the Red River Campaign
Gen. Banks begins the Red River Campaign on the Red River in Louisiana. It is a plan to strike deep into the Confederacy. -
Battle of Sabine Crossroads
The first battle of the Red River Campaign. Took place in Mansfield, Louisiana. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
A battle in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Robert E. Lee was successful in stalling Union forces, but ultimately the Union pushed through. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Union attempted to break the Confederates hold on Richmond, Virginia. The Union was defeated. -
Attack on Washington
Confederate forces arrive at Washington, D.C. and exchange cannon fire with Union forces. Lincoln observes the battle in Fort Stevens, and the Confederates withdraw the next day. -
Battle of Jonesborough
The last counterattack from the Confederates before the fall of Atlanta. The next day, Union forces occupy Atlanta. -
Battle of Fort Harrison
A surprise attack by the Union on Fort Harrison in Richmond, Virginia. All attempts by the Confederates to recapture the fort fail. -
Capture of Savannah
On the end of it's "March to the Sea", Union troops are met by little resistance. They capture Fort McAllister and force Confederate defenders out of Savannah, Georgia. -
Capture of Fort Fisher
Union forces capture Fort Fisher, North Carolina. This was the last Southern port open to trade on the east coast. -
Abraham Lincoln Inaugurated for His Second Term
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated for his second term as president. Many Northerners supported him. -
The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond
Gen. Lee abandons both Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. He does this in hopes of joining other Confederate forces in North Carolina. -
Union Occupation of Petersburg and Richmond.
The day after the Confederates abandon the cities, the Union occupy them. They were met with no resistance. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Lincoln is assassinated in Fords Theater in Washington, D.C. He is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. -
Tennessee Surrenders
The Confederate Army of Tennessee surrenders. Joseph Johnston is the general who signs the documents. -
Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana Surrender
The Confederate Armies of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana surrender. Richard Taylor is the one to sign the documents. -
Jefferson Davis is Captured
Confederate president Jefferson Davis is captured. He is caught near Irwinville, Georgia. -
The Final Battle of the Civil War
The final battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Palmito Ranch, takes place in Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory. -
Mississippi Surrenders - End of the Civil War!
Gen. Buckner surrenders for the Trans-Mississippi Army of the Confederacy. The Civil War is officially over. -
First Observation of Lincoln's Birthday
The first formal observation of Lincoln's Birthday is held in Washington, D.C. Andrew Johnson attends. -
Congress Overrides Johnson's Veto of the Civil Rights Act of 1866
President Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act, declaring it unconstitutional. The Act declared all citizens equally protected under the law. -
14th Amendment Approved
The 14th Amendment is approved. It states that all people born in the United States are United States citizens. -
Congress Overrides Johnson's Veto of the Freedman's Bureau Bill
The bill states that military trial will be given to those who denied an African-american rights. Johnson vetoed it months earlier. -
Congress Establishes a "General of the Armies"
Congress establishes a "general of the armies" position. Ulysses S. Grant is immediately promoted to this position. -
The Secret Service Investigates the KKK
After the end of the civil war, some people were still vocal about their want for slaves. The Secret Service began to look into this organization, the Ku Klux Klan. -
US Declares Peace With Texas
President Johnson declares peace with Texas. This is almost a year after the Civil War. -
North Carolina Rejects the 14th Amendment
North Carolina does not want to agree with the North. They reject the 14th amendment. -
Fire in the Philadelphia Shipyard
A fire is started in the Philadelphia Shipyard. It destroys most of the ships used in the Civil War. -
South Carolina Rejects the 14th Amendment
South Carolina follows in the footsteps of North Carolina. This is six years after they seceded from the Union. -
Kentucky Rejects the 14th Amendment
Kentucky is yet another state to reject this amendment. It is the third to do so. -
Blacks in Washington, D.C. Gain the Right to Vote
The same day Kentucky rejected the 14th amendment, blacks in Washington, D.C gained the right to vote. This is the first place in the US that allowed it. -
Nebraska Becomes a State
Nebraska is admitted to the Union. It is admitted before former Confederate states are. -
Military Rule Restored to Mississippi.
The Federal Army restores military rule to Mississippi. This is done as part of the Reconstruction. -
Virginia Rejects Votes Cast by Blacks
Virginia rejected over 1,000 votes cast by African-americans. This took place in response to the Reconstruction Act. -
Congress Passes the 2nd Reconstruction
Congress passed their second Reconstruction Act. They overrode Johnson's veto in order to pass it. -
The US Purchases Alaska
The United States purchases Alaska for 2 cents an acre. This is called Seward's Folly. -
Congress Admits 7 States to the Union
These states are; Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and North and South Carolina. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas are not admitted. -
House Select Committee on Reconstruction is Appointed
A committee for Reconstruction is appointed by Congress. It included nine house members and six senate members. -
South Carolina Impanels Black Jurors
South Carolina allows blacks to serve on a jury after General Edward Canby demands it. This is only two years after the Civil War.
