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Fort Sumter
First Shots fired in the Civil War- in a Northern held fort surrounded by southern land. Southerners cut off all resources that were coming in, signaling to Lincoln that a fight was incoming. For the Union, this was a way to force the South to decide if they would fight or not -
The First Battle of Bull Run
An attack lead by Union General Irvin McDowell to take Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, 30 miles away from Washington. McDowell launched a strong assault near Bull Run, but panic swept his troops when the Confederate soldiers counterattacked, shouting the hair-raising “rebel yell.” McDowell’s troops — and many civilians who had come to observe the battle — retreated in disarray. Suddenly, Washington, D.C., seemed threatened. Showed the north rebel strength, and McDowell was replaced. -
West Virginia created
To secure the railroad connecting Washington to the Ohio River Valley, Lincoln ordered General McClellan to take control of northwestern Virginia. Unionist-leaning voters in that area chose overwhelmingly to create a breakaway territory, West Virginia. This became a state in 1863 -
Naval Blockade
Organized by Lincoln and General Winfield Scott, this aimed to cripple the southern economy by limiting their trade possibilities with Britain and France. More than 260 ships were on blockade duty and another 100 under construction -
Far West Campaign
Many Westerners originally came from the South, and thus supported that cause. However, the Union maintained control over the area with key victories at Glorieta Pass and Picacho Pass. -
Controlling the Mississippi
General Grant used ironclad riverboats, a new technology, to travel up the MS and Ohio River Valley rivers to capture key forts and control the railroads. This resulted in near carnage at Shiloh, although it was a Union victory. German American militias kept MS under Union control, barely. Naval fleets captured NOLA, a key economic city for the South. -
Antietam
General McClellan had knowledge about Confederate plans, and struck an attack- but imperfectly. What resulted was the single bloodiest day in American Military History. Together, the Confederate and Union dead numbered 4,800 and the wounded 18,500, of whom 3,000 soon died. This battle was the reason for McClellan's dismissal as a general- Lincoln did not want the war to drag out, and he need a more aggressive commander. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation issued on January 1, 1863, that legally abolished slavery in all states that remained out of the Union. While the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free a single slave, it signaled an end to the institution of slavery. Emancipation helped persuade Britain and France to refrain from recognizing the Confederacy, in a war now being fought between slavery and freedom. -
Union advantage from economic policies
Innovative system of public finance through tariffs, war bonds, and paper money. Better farming technologies allowed for maintained or increased output despite many men going to war. Superior transportation technologies allowed the different regions of the Union to be connected for one cause. In contrast, the confederacy was unable to raise taxes or get loans because of the advancing Union army, which resulted in large scale printing of paper money and massive inflation -
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln’s November 1863 speech dedicating a national cemetery at the Gettysburg battlefield, a decisive Union victory lead by Commander George Meade. Lincoln declared the nation’s founding ideal to be that “all men are created equal,” and he urged listeners to dedicate themselves out of the carnage of war to a “new birth of freedom” for the United States. -
Lee Surrenders
almost four years to the day after the attack on Fort Sumter, Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. In return for their promise not to fight again, Grant allowed Confederate officers and men to take their horses and personal weapons and go home. By late May, all the secessionist armies and governments had surrendered or melted away. -
Abraham Lincoln Is Assassinated
assassinated by john wilkins booth while he watched a play, this set the stage for conflict between congress and his vice president, Andrew Johnson, who was not as radical as he was. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the United States, passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. The necessary number of states ratified it by December 6, 1865. The 13th amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
Legislation passed by Congress that nullified the Black Codes and affirmed that African Americans should have equal benefit of the law. -
Johnson Impeached
On the basis of firing a member of his Cabinet, the Radical Republicans from the House introduced articles of impeachment against the president, and, after an eleven-week trial in the Senate, thirty-five senators voted for conviction — one vote short of the two-thirds majority required. Twelve Democrats and seven Republicans voted for acquittal. -
The 14th Amendment
Passed by the Senate on June 8, 1866 & ratified two years later on July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States" including formerly enslaved people, & provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws” extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. The amendment authorized the government to punish states that abridged citizens’ right to vote by proportionally reducing their representation in Congress -
The 15th Amendment
Constitutional amendment ratified in 1870 that forbade states to deny citizens the right to vote on grounds of race, color, or “previous condition of servitude.” Guaranteed black male suffrage. Caused a split it the women's suffrage movement. -
Enforcement Laws
In response to horrific violence against Republicans and black people, these acts were passed in Congress in 1870 and signed by President U. S. Grant. They were designed to protect freedmen’s rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. Authorizing federal prosecutions, military intervention, and martial law to suppress terrorist activity, the Enforcement Laws largely succeeded in shutting down Klan activities. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
A law that required “full and equal” access to jury service and to transportation and public accommodations, irrespective of race. Originally of larger scope, this act was championed by Charles Sumner, and passed after his death.