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Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln wins the election of 1860 with the popular vote nationwide, but with zero electoral votes from the south.
This is significant because the south feels they are not being represented in the election. -
South Carolina secedes from the Union
Angry at Lincoln winning the election and believing that slavery would be banned nationwide, South Carolina secedes from the United States. 10 other states follow suit.
This is significant because it means war will be needed to preserve the union. -
Shots fired at Fort Sumter
The confederate general P.G.T. Beauregard orders shots to be fired at Fort Sumter, the first shots of the civil war. Lincoln sends food and supplies to the fort rather than evacuating or reinforcing, as both options would be bad for the Union.
This is significant because it is where the first shots of the civil war are fired. -
Battle of Bull Run
The first major battle of the civil war, 30 miles away from Washington, D.C. The battle was a confederate victory, but they did not advance on the capitol.
This is significant because it is the first real battle of the civil war, and because it gives the Confederacy a morale boost. -
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Monitor v Merrimack
The first battle between ironclad warships, marking a permanent change in how naval warfare would be done.
This is significant because it changes how naval warfare will be conducted in the future. -
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Battle of Shiloh
One of the early major battles of the civil war, in which the confederate army of Mississippi launched a surprise attack on the union army of Tennessee.
This is important because it was a success for the Union army, and allowed grant to launch an operation in the Mississippi valley later in the year. -
Battle of Antietam
A battle between the forces of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan. It was the bloodiest day in American history, with a combined tally of 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing.
This is significant because it caused Lincoln to deliver the emancipation proclamation. -
Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation
A proclamation by Abraham Lincoln that all slaves in the rebelling states would be emancipated, turning the civil war into a crusade against slavery.
This is significant because it turned the civil war from a battle for preserving the union to a battle for the end of slavery. -
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Battle of Gettysburg
Considered the most important engagement of the civil war, Robert E. Lee's invasion of the north was halted and the confederates withdrew to Virginia.
This is significant because the battle turned the tide of the war in the Union's favor, and inspired Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address. -
Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address
Lincoln gives the famous Gettysburg Address at the Gettysburg cemetery, at the site of the deadly battle of Gettysburg.
This is significant because it gave meaning to the sacrifice of soldiers who died during the war. -
Fort Pillow massacre
Confederate troops kill nearly 200 black troops fighting for the union, inspiring the battle cry "Remember Fort Pillow" from the slaves fighting for their freedom.
This is significant because it gave black union soldiers a renewed reason to fight. -
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Sherman's March to the Sea
A 'scorched earth' military campaign by William Sherman, with his troops marching from Atlanta to Savannah and destroying infrastructure along the way, disrupting the economy and transportation networks of the confederacy.
This is significant because it allowed the union to capture Savannah, and harmed confederate morale massively. -
General Lee surrenders
Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrenders to union general Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse, marking the beginning of the end of the civil war.
This is significant because it took the largest confederate army out of the war entirely.