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Period: to
Civil War
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Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis comes out of favor of succession for the first time. -
Abraham Lincoln
After being photographed by Matthew Brady, Abraham Lincoln speaks at the Cooper Institue in New York City -
Republican Convention
The Republican Convention is held in Chicago, Illinois on May 16, 1860. William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Abraham Lincoln of Illinois are the leading contenders from a field of 12 candidates. Lincoln wins the third ballot. Hannibal Hamlin of Maine is chosen for vice-president. -
National Democratic Convention
Southern delegates hold a National Democratic Convention in RIchmond, Virginia. Party leaders urge a "wait and see" approach. -
Democrats in Baltimore
The Democrats reconvene in Baltimore to select a nominee, but Douglas cannot make a neccessary 2/3 majority until the rules are changed and the majority of the anti- Douglass delegates leave. -
Nominations
In Baltimore on June 23, the convention nominates Stephen Douglass and Hershal V. Johnson -
Major John F. Reynolds
Lietenant Colonel Williams Hardee is replaced by Major John F. Williams as commander of cadets at West Point. -
Presidential Election
Republican Abraham Lincoln wins the Presidential Election with 39.7 percent of the vote. He defeated Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell. He was the first President from the Republican Party -
Fort Sumter
Major Robert Anderson reports Fort Sumter is being threatened in Charleston as federal forces begin to improve Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter in the harbor -
Message to Congress
President James Buchanon sends a distressed State of The Union message to Congress. He says secession is unconstitutional and he calls for a constitutional amendment allowing Southern states to retain slaves as property -
Kansas admitted to the United States
On January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted and the 34th state. -
Confederate States formed
The Confederate States of America is formed with Jefferson Davis, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army officer, as president. -
16th Presidnent sworn in
Abraham Lincoln is sworn in as 16th President of the United States of America. -
Civil War begins
At 4:30 a.m. Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard open fire with 50 cannons upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. This starts the Civil War. -
Lincoln calls for militiamen
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation calling for 75,000 militiamen, and summoning a special session of Congress for July 4, 1861 -
States seceed from the union
Virginia secedes from the Union, followed within five weeks by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. This formed an 11 state Confederacy with a population of 9 million, including nearly 4 million slaves. The Union will soon have 21 states and a population of over 20 million. -
First Battle of Bull Run
It was fought in Prince William County, Virginia. It was also known as the First Manassas. -
George McClellan appointed Commander
President Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as Commander of the Department of the Potomac, replacing McDowell. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
This battle was fought in Missouri. The Union Army under General Nathaniel Lyon, attack Confederate troops and state militia southwest of Springfield, Missouri. The Confederate victory emphasizes the strong southern presence west of the Mississippi River. -
McClellan appointed general-in-chief
President Lincoln appoints McClellan as general-in-chief of all Union forces after the resignation of the aged Winfield Scott. Lincoln tells McClellan, "...the supreme command of the Army will entail a vast labor upon you." McClellan responds, "I can do it all." -
General war issued
President Lincoln issues General War Order No. 1 calling for all United States naval and land forces to begin a general advance by February 22. -
Fort Henry Surrenders
Surrender of Fort Henry, Tennessee. Ulysses S. Grant captured the fort.The loss of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Union control of the river. -
Jefferson Davis now president
Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America. -
Battle of Shiloh
This battle took place at Pittsburgh Landing. It was the first major battle in Tennessee. The battle took place of April 6th and 7th. The Union victory further secures the career of Union General Ulysses S. Grant. -
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines took place near Richmond, Virginia. It lasted from May 31- June1. General Joseph Johnston, commander of the Confederate army in Virginia is wounded and replaced by Robert E. Lee who renames his command the "Army of Northern Virginia". -
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Second Bull Run also known as Second Manassas is fought on the same ground where one year before, the Union army was defeated and sent reeling in retreat to Washington. Likewise, the result of this battle is a Union defeat. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), Maryland, the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. The result of the battle ends General Lee's first invasion of the North.There was a union victory. -
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves issued by President Lincoln. -
McClellan is replaced
President Lincoln replaces McClellan with General Ambrose E. Burnside as the new Commander of the Army of the Potomac. Lincoln had grown impatient with McClellan's slowness to follow up on the success at Antietam, even telling him, "If you don't want to use the army, I should like to borrow it for a while." -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The battle took place in Fredricksburg, Virginia. The Army of the Potomac, under General Ambrose Burnside, is soundly defeated by Lee's forces after a risky river crossing and sacking of the city. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
General Ambrose Burnside replaced
Abraham Lincoln relieves General Ambrose Burnside [US} from command of the Army of the Potomac, replacing him with General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker. -
Naval Attack
Naval attack on Charleston, South Carolina. -
Hooker's Army is defeated
General "Fighting Joe" Hooker's Army of the Potomac is defeated by Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia as it crosses the Rappahannock on the way to Richmond -
Death of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
"Stonewall" Jackson died on May 10, 1863 in Guinea, Virginia. -
West Virginia becomes a state
West Virginia becomes the 35th state to enter the United States, but the first to enter where the terms slave and free no longer mattered -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was the greatest battle of the Civil War, fought in south-central Pennsylvania in 1863. It ended in a major victory for the North and is usually considered the turning point of the war. -
Battle of Peachtree Creek
Battle of Peachtree Creek, Georgia, the first major battle around the city of Atlanta. General Hood sends his army out of the city's defenses to attack the approaching Federal troops under George Thomas. After several hours of fierce fighting, Hood withdrew back to his own defensive works. -
Battles on the Weldon Railroad
Battles on the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia. Union attempts to capture this important railroad into Petersburg were stopped by Confederate counterattacks. Despite southern efforts, the Union remained in firm possession of their gains and the railroad. -
President Lincoln delivers the "Gettysburg Address"
President Lincoln delivers the "Gettysburg Address". Lincoln was speaking at the dedication of a soldiers' cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg. -
Underwriter captured
Confederate forces captured the Federal gunboat Underwriter on the Neuse River in North Carolina; pursuing Federals chased them off after they set the ship on fire. -
Columbia captured
Sherman's Army captures Columbia, South Carolina while Confederate defenders evacuate Charleston, South Carolina. -
Fort Pillow
The Battle of Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow massacre, was fought on April 12, 1864, at Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. -
Grant beated, but advances to Spotsylvania
Ulysses S. Grant is badly beaten on the field by Robert E. Lee but rather than retreat, Grant advances to Spotsylvania Court House. -
Battle of Cold Harbour
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. -
Siege of Petersburg begins
The Siege of Petersburg lasted from June 9, 1864 to March 25, 1865. It was was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia. -
Battle of Jonesborough
Battle of Jonesborough, Georgia. The final southern counterattack against Union troops outside the city of Atlanta fails. -
The Battle of Cedar Creek
The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, fought October 19, 1864, was the culminating battle of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 during the American Civil War. -
Reelection
Abraham Lincoln is reelected president of the United States. Northern voters overwhelmingly endorse the leadership and policies of President Abraham Lincoln when they elect him to a second term. -
"March to the Sea"
General Sherman's Army of Georgia begins the "March to the Sea". -
Hampton Roads Conference
On the River Queen five men, US President Abraham Lincoln, US Secretary of State William Seward, CS Vice-president Alexander Stephens, along with John Campbell and RMT Hunter discuss peace terms at the Hampton Roads Conference near Fort Monroe. The conference was a failure. -
Attack on Fort Stedman
Attack on Fort Stedman, Petersburg, Virginia. Touted as "Lee's last offensive", Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon attack and briefly capture the Union fort in the Petersburg siege lines in an attempt to thwart Union plans for a late March assault. By day's end, the southerners have been thrown out and the lines remain unchanged. -
The Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks, Virginia. The Confederate defeat at Five Forks initiates General Lee's decision to abandon the Petersburg-Richmond siege lines. -
The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond
The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond. General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces under General Johnston in North Carolina. -
Union troops occupy Richmond
At daybreak April 3, Union troops entered the city and occupied Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia. -
Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender,
Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender, Appomattox Court House, Virginia.Lee seeks an audience with General Grant to discuss terms. That afternoon in the parlor of Wilmer McLean, Lee signs the document of surrender. -
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. On the same day, Fort Sumter, South Carolina is re-occupied by Union troops. -
General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document
General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and miscellaneous southern troops attached to his command at Bennett's Place near Durham, North Carolina. -
Davis captured
Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia. -
Final Civil War Battle
The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory. -
First observation of Lincoln's birthday
The first formal observation of President Lincoln's birthday is held in Washington, D. C. President Andrew Johnson attends. -
New Freedmen's Bureau bill passed
New Freedmen's Bureau bill passed by Congress. President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill that authorized military trial for those accused of "depriving Negroes of the Civil Rights" on the same day -
Civil Rights Act vetoed
President Andrew Johnson vetos the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. -
Congress overrides veto
Congress overrides President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Act -
More states enter 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 -
Congress overrides Johnson's veto
Congress overrides Andrew Johnson's veto of the Freedman's Bureau bill -
Congress establishes "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. -
Rank of Admiral created
Congress creates the rank of Admiral. David Farragut is appointed to that rank. -
Peace with Texas
A proclaimation of peace with Texas is issued by United States President Andrew Johnson. -
Civil War ships destroyed
A fire in the Philadelphia ship-yard accidently destroys a number of ships used during the Civil War. -
African Americans can vote in D.C.
African American men granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C. despite President Johnson's veto. -
Nebraska becomes a state
Nebraska becomes the 37th state. The capital was moved from Omaha to the center at Lancaster, later renamed Lincoln after the recently assassinated President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. -
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. -
Alexandria, Virginia rejects Negro votes
Alexandria, Virginia rejects thousand of votes cast by Negroes, who were granted universal suffrage under the Reconstruction Act. -
Frist property tax in Michigan
Michigan becomes 1st state to tax property to support a university. -
2nd Reconstruction Act
Congress passes the 2nd Reconstruction Act over Andrew Johnson's veto. The act established and clarified 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. -
U.S. buys Alaska
William P. Seward signs a treaty with Russia buying Alaska for 2 cents an acre. Democrats called it "Seward's Folly" -
Blacks vote for the first time
Blacks vote for 1st time in a US state election in the South (Tennessee). -
Russia turns over Alaska to the United States
Russia turns over Alaska to the United States on October 18, 1867 -
Congress looks into impeachment of Johnson
US Congress commission looks into "impeachment" of President Andrew Johnson. He violated the Tenure of Office Act.
