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Lincoln wins Election
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election. Although he won, he lost the majority of popular votes, hinting that problems were to come. He also pledged not to abolish slavery, yet he was the one to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, which did just that. -
South attacks Fort Sumter
President Lincoln stocked up on supplies at Fort Sumter the months preceding the battle. However, the Confederates were the ones who attacked, marking the first shots of the Civil War. The Confederates bombarded the fort with artillery. Union Major Robert Anderson and his troops surrendered and abandonded Fort Sumter a couple days later. Seven states then seceeded the Union. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This was one of the first huge land battles fought in the Civil War by the Virginia armies. The Union troops led by Brigadier General McDowell marched to Bull Run and attacked the Confederate's left flank on Matthew's Hill. The Union fought well at first, but Confederate reinforcements sent the Union packing to Washington. -
Monitor vs. Merrimack
The USS Monitor and the USS Merrimack were both ironclad ships that fought in the Battle of Hampton Roads against each other. This changed naval warfare forever becasue they were the first steel ships used (wood was used before then). -
Battle of Antietam
Although the bloodiest battle was the Gettysburg battle, the bloodiest day in the war was September 17, the Battle of Antietam. over 26,000 lives were took this day, but the battle was considered a draw. However, General Lee's invasion of Maryland was stopped and he retreated back to Virginia. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, made the Civil War a war over slavery. It said any territory that the Union controlled or gained was a free area, so there was to be no slavery in territories controlled by the Union. It also said that blacks could enlist in the army. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Gettysburg was an extremely bloody battle, for there were over 50,000 casualties. It was consdiered the turning point of the war and a huge win for the Union army. Lee's destroyed army returned back to Virginia. -
Gettysburg Address
On this date, President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address speech, dedicating a cemetary to Union soldiers killed in the Gettysburg battle. It is considered one of the msot important speecehs ever given in U.S. history; it promoted human equality. -
Overland Virginia Campaign
General Ulysses S. Grant and over 100,000 soldiers marched towards Richmond to try to end the war. Grant took some heavy hits in these multiple battles, but it was a strategic win iby the Union. -
Union Captures Richmond
After breaking through Confederate lines at Petersburg, the Union went on to capture Richmond, Virginia. The city was leveled by bombing. This was huge because this was a major city for the Confederate government and army. -
The War Ends
At Appattomox, Virginia, Robert E. Lee surrendered close to 30,000 soldiers to bring the Civil War to a close.
