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Lincoln is Elected President
This was seen as the boiling point between the north and the south. In other words, the south is now really mad at the north and they had a reason to. For one lincoln go 0 votes in the deep south and dint even appear on half the ballots. This led to the south believing that their opinions no longer mattered. -
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Secession Begins
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina unanimously voted to leave the Union. Then on February 1, 1861, Six more states voted to leave the union (Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas). Many southerners saw succession as a necessary action to uphold their rights. -
Unions Anaconda Plan
Winfield Scott suggested a plan that would block the souths ports and send gunboats down the Mississippi. The Union officially called this plan the Anaconda plan after the snake that slowly strangles its prey to death. After looking at his other options Lincoln eventually agreed to implement this plan. -
Founding the Confederacy
On February 8, 1861, delegates from the succeeding nations officially declared themselves a new nation, The Confederate States of America. In doing so they drafted a new constitution, with slight differences and elected their own president, Jefferson Davis. -
The Civil War Begins
On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces bombarded Fort Sumter for 33 straight hours until U.S Army Major Robert Anderson surrendered. This was the official start of the Civil War. -
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The Upper South Succeeds
After Fort Sumpter fell Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve in the military for 90 days. Yet many people in the Upper South (Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee) didn't want to succeed nor did they want to fight fellow southerners. So, between April 17 and June 8, four more states succeeded. -
The Naval War
In order to implement their Anaconda plan, the Union had to block all southerner ports. The union found it difficult to stop all of the Confederate blockade runners, but they stopped enough of them. Then in April 1862 the union sent 42 war ships to New Orleans and unloaded some 15,000 troops. Within 6 days the Union took control of the city. -
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The War in the East
June 1862. Confederate General Lee began a series of attacks on McClellan's forces, these attacks forced the union to retreat. The victory gave the confederacy hope so they ordered Lee to keep going. This led to the Second Battle of Bull Run, and yet again Union forces retreated. This left General Lee 20 miles away from Washington D.C. Both General Lee and Jefferson Davis believed that if they could capture Washington D.C then it would force the union to accept independence. -
The War in the East Continued
Yet on September 17, 1862, General Lee and General McClellan faced off again at Antietam Creek. This battle turned into the deadliest one-day battle in American history. This battle forced General Lee to retreat to Virginia. -
Emancipation Proclamation
On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln publically announced the Emancipation Proclamation. A document freeing all the slaves in the confederacy. This officially changed the focus of the war from preserving union to ending slavery. -
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The Turning Point
Gettysburg is known as the turning point of the war for the Union, because before the Union was technically losing this war. But in late June of 1862 Confederate general Lee made a huge mistake. He headed into Gettysburg hoping to seize a supply of shoes for his men, but to his surprise, two brigades of union cleverly were waiting. On July 1, lee managed to push Union forces out of town, but the Union kept fighting. Then on July 2, Lee ordered 15,000 men to charge towards the enemy. -
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The Turning Point Continued
This resulted in 7,000 casualties in less than half an hour and it still failed to break up the Union forces. This attack was called Picket's Charge. This forced Lee to retreat and proved to be the turning point of the war. -
The 13th Amendment
Lincoln saw his reelection as a mandate to end slavery permanently, and so he did. On January 13th, 1865 congress passed the 13th amendment banning slavery in the United States. -
Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14m 1865, at ford's theater lincoln and his wife went to see a play. Then shortly after 10 p.m John Wilkes Booth slipped behind Lincoln and shot him in the back to the head. Lincoln died shortly after.