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Fort Sumter
Confederate General PGT Beauregard commands his forces to fire upon the Union garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, marking the first shots fired in the American Civil War. -
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Significant Dates of the American Civil War and Reconstruction
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First Battle of Bull Run
The first major land battle of the American Civil War, Confederate General PGT Beauregard, reinforced by troops under Joseph E. Johnston, force the Union Army under General Irvin McDowell into a retreat. -
Battle of Shiloh
Despite initial successes on April 6th, Confederate forces under General Albert Sidney Johnston and General PGT Beauregard were defeated by Union General Ulysses S. Grant and General Don Carlos Buell. The first major battle of the Western Theater, the victory allowed Union forces to advance along the Tennessee River. -
Battle of Antietam
Union General George B. McClellan's army battles Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee. Lee is forced to withdraw back across the Potomac River, ending his offensive of Maryland, and making the battle the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with roughly 23,000 Americans killed. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Fought July 1-3, 1863, General George Meade's Union Army beats back Robert. E Lee, ending his second offensive into the North and creating a turning point in the war. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Beginning on May 18th, the siege ends on July 4th when the Confederate Army of Vicksburg under General John C. Pemberton finally surrenders to the Union's Army of the Tennessee under General Ulysses Grant. At this point, the Union Army had an effective hold on the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Atlanta
Union General William T. Sherman begins the attacking on July 22, 1864, eventually defeating Confederate defenses under General John Bell Hood. Rail lines were destroyed and Sherman's army was able to raid to Savannah in the infamous March to the Sea. The victory strengthened the northern cause and contributed to Lincoln's successful reelection. -
Battle of Five Forks
Union General Philip Sheridan defeats Confederate General George Pickett, forcing a Confederate retreat from the entrenchments around Petersburg and General Robert E. Lee's order to evacuate the Confederate capital at Richmond. -
Confederate Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
The Confederate Army of General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union forces under General Ulysses Grant, ending the American Civil War. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
While watching a performance of the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., the president was shot by pro-Southern actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died the next morning. -
Thirteenth Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment officially was enacted, outlawing slavery. -
Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment required all states to guarantee equal protection and prohibits depriving people life, liberty, or property unfairly. -
Fifteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment was passed, prohibiting the government from denying citizens a vote based on racial background.
