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Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Lincoln, the Republican candidate, is elected the 16th president of the United States. This outrages the South and leads to the Civil War. -
Fort Sumter Fired On
Southern forces fire on Fort Sumter. This formally marks the start of the American Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The Union army suffers a defeat at Bull Run. Confederate General, Thomas J. Jackson, earns the nickname "Stonewall" for resisting Union attacks. This is the battle that causes Lincoln to realize the war will be long. -
Jefferson Davis Inaugurated
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as the official president of the Confederate States of America. -
The Battle of Shiloh
This was the first major battle in Tennessee. This is a Union victory in which Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston was killed. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
75,000 Federals under General Pope are defeated by 55,000 Confederates under Generals Jackson and Longstreet. Ends with Union retreat to Washington. -
The Battle of Antietam
This was the bloodiest battle in the Civil War.By nightfall of the battle, 26,000 men were dead, injured, or missing. General Lee and the confederate armies retreat. -
Emancipation Proclamation Issued
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This freed all slaves in currently rebelling states. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
Union forces defeat Confederate ones. This battle tuned the tide in the war. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivers his famous Gettysburg address at a ceremony dedicating the battlefield as a National Cemetery. -
Lee Surrenders
General Lee surrendered his army to the Union, marking the end of the war. -
Lincoln Shot
After the war, Lincoln and his wife went to see a play at Ford's Theater. Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth.
