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Civil War Timeline
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The Tenth of January
The Pemberton Mill, a large factory in Lawrence Massachusetts collapses, trapping 500 and later killing half of them due to the ruins catching fire. The incident inspires Elizabeth Stuart Phelp's story: "The Tenth of January." -
Abraham Lincoln Speech
In a speech at the Cooper Institute in New York, Abraham Lincoln, attacks slavery and insists that the Federal government "has the power of restraining the extension of the institution." -
Five Point Visit
Abraham Lincoln visited the Five Points, a notorious slum in America. This is where he spent time with children at a Sunday school, his visits appearing in newspapers during his Presidential campaign. -
The Pony Express Begins
Overland mail between Sacramento and St. Joseph's, Missouri is carried over the Oregon trail for 18 months on horseback. -
1860 Democratic Convention
This democratic convention was held in Charleston, South Carolina over slavery. This is also where the nominations for the 1860 Presidential election were chosen. -
Homestead Bill
President Buchanan vetoes the Homestead Bill, which provided land grants to western settlers. The veto divided his Democratic party, clearing the way for Abraham Lincoln's election. -
Murder of Albert Hicks
This pirate convicted of murder was hanged on present day Liberty Island in New York harbor before thousands of spectators. -
Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected sixteenth president of the United States, as the first Republican President to oppose the spread of slavery. He defeated Stephen A. Douglass, John C. Breckenridge, and John Bell in this election. -
Crittenden Compromise
Senator John J. Crittenden proposes the Crittenden Compromise hoping to resolve the United States succession crisis. -
Succession Begins
South Carolina succeeds from the Union.The successions of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee follow in 1861. -
Southern States Become Confederacy
The Southern states that succeeded create a government at Montgomery, Alabama, and the Confederate States of America are formed -
First President of Confederate States
Jefferson Davis is appointed the first President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama -
Lincoln's Inauguration
Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth President of the United States in Washington, D.C. -
Beginning of Civil War
Southern forces fire upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Governor Francis Pickens had demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter and Anderson refused. Lincoln sent unofficial emissaries to observe the situation and report back to him while official negotiations with the Confederate government took place in Washington. As this news spread through the Confederate government, Beauregard was instructed to demand the fort’s surrender and fire on it if surrender was refused. -
Lincoln's Public Declaration
Lincoln issues a public declaration that an insurrection, referring to the Confederates, exists and calls for 75,000 militia to stop the rebellion. -
West Virginia Skirmish
A skirmish near Philippi is the first clash of Union and Confederate forces in the East. The Northern press celebrated it as an epic triumph, and this encouraged Congress to call for the drive on Richmond that ended with the Union defeat at First Bull Run in July. -
Battle of Big Bethel
This was the first land battle of the war in Virginia, resulting in Confederate victory. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler sent columns from Hampton and Newport News against Confederate outposts at Little and Big Bethel. Confederates abandoned Little Bethel and fell back near Big Bethel Church. The Union forces were disorganized and eventually retired, returning to Hampton and Newport News. -
Battle of Bull Run
This Battle was fought near Manassas, Virginia where the Union Army fighting under General Irwin McDowell initially succeed in driving back Confederate forces, but troops under General Joseph E. Johnston send McDowell's army to a retreat to Washington. (Thomas Jonathon Jackson earns his nickname of "Stonewall" Jackson) -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
Under General Nathaniel Lyon, the Union army attacked Confederate troops southwest of Springfield, Missouri. The death of Lyon and Confederate victory emphasize the strength of the South west of the Mississippi River. -
Confederate Victory in Missouri
Lexington, Missouri falls to Confederate troops under Sterling Price. -
Civil War Publicized
Photographs taken by Alexander Gardner were put on public display at Mathew Brady's gallery in New York City, shocked by the carnage shown in the photographic prints. -
Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee
This southern fort on the Cumberland River left the river to the Union. This was also where Grant earned his nickname of "Unconditional Surrender." -
Confederate President
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America. -
Battle of Shiloh
Confederate soldiers under the command of General Albert Sidney Johnston struck the Union soldiers occupying ground near Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River. This drove theFederal soldiers from their camps and threatened to overwhelm Major. General Ulysses S. Grant’s entire Army of the Tennessee. Grant launched a counteroffensive, driving Beauregard’s army from the field. The Confederate defeat ended any hopes of blocking the Union advance into northern Mississippi. -
Union Victory
17 ships under the command of David Farragut move up the Mississippi River and then take New Orleans, the South's greatest sea port. -
New Orleans
Union soldiers capture New Orleans, led by Admiral David. D. Farragut.The Confederacy lost a major city, and the lower Mississippi would soon became a Union highway for 400 miles to Vicksburg, Mississippi. -
Battle of Memphis, Tennessee
A formation of small warships under Commodore Charles Davis successfully defeats a Confederate river force on the Mississippi River. This results in Union control over the Mississippi, except for its course west of Mississippi where Vicksburg is the last southern fort. -
The Battle of Antietam
This bloodiest single day battle of the civil war took place in Sharpsburg, Maryland, ending General Lee's first invasion of the North. -
McClellan's Replacement
Lincoln replaces McClellan with General Ambrose E. Burnside as the new commander of the Army of the Potomac. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia
Under General Ambrose Burnside, the Army of Potomac is defeated by Lee's forces after a river crossing. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates, therefore promoting the enlisting of black soldiers into the Union Army. It is at this time that the war becomes a struggle over the issue of abolition. -
Meridian Campaign
Union General William T. Sherman begins the Meridian Campaign in Mississippi, which took place from February 3–28, 1864, from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Meridian, Mississippi, by the Union Army of the Tennessee.The campaign is viewed as a prelude to Sherman's March to the Sea. -
Stonewall's Tragic Death
The South suffers a huge loss, as Stonewall Jackson dies from his wounds. His last words were, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle in Pennsylvania was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with a failed attempt by Lee to invade the North. Fighting occurred for three days, each side losing more than 50,000 soldiers. -
New Commander
President Lincoln appoints General George G. Meade as commander of the Army of Potomac, replacing Hooker as the fifth man to command the army in less than one year. -
Pickett's Charge
On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee orders General George Pickett to assault Union positions. 12,000 Confederate troops who participate in the charge are slaughtered. -
Battle at Vicksburg
This battle occurred the day after Gettysburg, where General Grant captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, for the Union. As a result, the Union controlled the Mississippi River and the Confederacy split in two. -
New York City Draft Riots
This lasted until July 16, known at the time as Draft Week. These were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, where the working class grew angry with the new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the Civil War. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivers a two minute Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the battlefield as a national cemetery. -
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
On this day, Lincoln offers his plan for reunification of the United States. At this point in the Civil War, Union armies had captured sections in the south. The allowed for restoration of property to those engaged in the rebellion and allowed for a new sate government to be formed when 10 percent of eligible voters had taken an oath of allegiance. -
Grant as Commander
Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant commander of all Union armies and General William T. Sherman takes over as Commander of the West. -
Virginia Campaign
In Virginia, Ulysses S. Grant with his arm of 120,000 troops begin advancing towards Richmond to engage Robert E. Lee's army and begin a war that will include major battles.goes to Virginia -
Battle of the Wilderness
This two day battle was the first battle of Grant's "Overland Campaign," a drive to defeat Lee's army and capture the South's capital at Richmond, Virginia. The battle put the Confederates on the defensive. The battle benefited the Union because Lee's casualties were high in proportion to the size of the army. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
This two day battle was a costly mistake by Grant, where 7000 Union casualties occurred in 20 minutes during an offensive against 4 to 5 rebels. -
Seige of Petersburg
This battles occurred around Petersburg, Virginia until March 25, 1865. The campaign consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which Union forces led by Grant assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully. -
Burning of Atlanta
Union General Sherman captures Atlanta and burns it to the ground, after ordering it to be destroyed before he embarked on his famous March to the Sea. Before leaving on November 15, Sherman’s forces had burned the industrial district of Atlanta and left a smoking shell. -
Lincoln Re-Elected
Abraham Lincoln is reelected president, defeating Democratic George B. McClellan. He carries all but three states with 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 and 233 electoral votes. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General Sherman begins his famous march to the sea, cutting a broad strip of destruction 300 miles long and 60 miles wide through Georgia. He comments, "All war is hell." -
Battle of Nashville
This two day battle consisted of the Confederate Arm nearly being destroyed when a Union army commanded by General George Thomas swarmed over the Reel trenches around Nashville. -
Capture of Savannah
Savannah is captured, ending the March to the Sea and Union General Sherman offers the city to Lincoln as a Christmas present. -
Special Field Orders
General William Tecumseh Sherman issued Special Field Orders, No. 15, a promise to provide "forty acres and a mule" to each family of freed slaves. -
Thirteenth Amendment
The U.S. Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, with goals to abolish slavery. The amendment is then submitted to the states for ratification. -
Failed Peace Conferance
Lincoln meets with Confederate President Alexander Stephens at Hampton Roads in Virginia, where a peace conferance occurs, but the meeting ends in failure -
The Freedman's Bureau
This new Federal agency began operation, and it was designed to help the freed slaves and poor whites in the South in the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War. -
Richmond Victory
The Union Army captures Richmond, Virginia, the third part of the Anaconda Plan. -
Battle of Cumberland Church
This battle was fought between the Union Army's II Corps of the Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Appomattox Campaign. The Union forces attacked twice, but were repulsed. Union General Smythe was mortally wounded wounded and J.I. Gregg was captured North of Farmville. -
Confederate Surrender
General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate army to General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. -
Assassination of Lincoln
The night that the Stars and Stripes is raised over Fort Sumpter, Lincoln and his wife see the play "Our American Cousin." During the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots Lincoln in the head. The doctor attends to the President, but he never gains consciousness. -
Death of Booth
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed by Congress in January, is ratified, and slavery is abolished. -
New Freedman Bureau Bill
New Freedman's Bureau bill is passed by Congress. Also on this day, President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill that authorized military trial for those accused of "depriving Negroes of the Civil Rights." -
Civil Rights Act
The United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. -
Ending Succession
Texas repeals the actions of the Secessionist Convention -
Andrew Johnson Vetoes the Bill
President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill on March 27, which Congress later overrides on April 9. -
Peace with the South
The United States declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. -
Congress in Power
Congress overrides President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Act -
The Memphis Race Riot
These were a series of violent events that occurred from May 1 to 3, 1866 in Memphis, Tennessee. The racial violence was ignited by political, social and racial tensions following the American Civil War, in the early stages of Reconstruction.white policemen and black soldiers recently mustered out of the Union Army, mobs of white civilians and policemen rampaged through black neighborhoods and the houses of freedmen, attacking and killing black men, women, and children. -
The Fourteenth Amendment
Thirty-ninth Congress approves the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. -
General of the Armies
Congress establishes "general of the armies" and Ulysses S. Grant is immediately promoted to 4-star general and put in this position. William Tecumseh Sherman assumes the rank of Lt. General. -
South Carolina Continues to Stand Out
On the 6th anniversary of secession, South Carolina rejects the 14th Amendment -
Blacks Gain Rights
Blacks in Washington D. C. gain the right to vote in a bill passed over President Andrew Johnson's veto. -
West Virginia and the Fourteenth Amendment
West Virginia ratifies the 14th Amendment, later adopted in 1868 as one of the Reconstruction amendments. -
Nebraska Admitted a State
Nebraska is admitted to the union as the 37th state on March 1, 1867, two years after the end of the American Civil War, -
Tenure of Office Act
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, denying the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. -
First Reconstruction Act
Known as the Military Reconstruction Act, applied to all of the ex-Confederate states in the South, except Tennessee. It split the states into five military districts, each under the control of a Northern general. -
Second Reconstruction Act
The First Reconstruction Act left the Southern states in confusion to whose role it was to reinforce the legislation. The Second Reconstruction Act established that the military commanders held responsibility to register voters and hold elections in their territories .It required that every voter recite the registration oath promising their support to the constitution and their obedience to the law. -
Alaska is Purchased
he United States reached an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million. The Treaty with Russia was signed by Secretary of State William Seward and Russian Minister to the United States Edouard de Stoecklfreedman, dynamite -
Bringing Unity to the Union
Congress passes a bill admitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, having refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment, were refused admission into the Union -
The Kidder Massacre
U.S. Second Lieutenant Lyman Kidder, an Indian scout, and ten enlisted men in Kansas are killed by the A Sioux and Cheyanne war party. -
Third Reconstruction Act
On July 19, 1867, the Third Reconstruction Act gave supreme power to the five Union generals overseeing Reconstruction in the five districts of the South. Each district included several former states of the Confederacy, with the exception of Tennessee, the generals holding the power to remove any official.
