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Lincoln elected
Abraham Lincoln wins the presidential election without getting a single vote from the southern states. This enrages the South and convinces them that they cannot stay in the Union. -
South Carolina secedes
South Carlina gathers a special convention and decides to secede from the Union and form their own nation as an indepednent state. -
Confederacy is formed
The delegates from all of the seceded states meet to form the confederate states of America. -
Lincoln's First Inaguration
Lincoln is sworn in at the white house and he promises to do all that he can do to try and keep the Union together and to avoid war. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter in South Carolina is bombarded by artillery form S/outh Carolina. This kicks off the start of the civil war and all but assures that their will be bloodshed in the war. THe Confederates win this battle as the defenders are forced to surrender. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This is the first official battle of the civil war and it happens at Bull Run. The confederates won a stunning victory over the Union and sen tthem and the bystanders running back to Washington. Significance of the abttle is it showed the South they could go toe to toe with the Union and that they had a solid general in Stonewall Jackson. -
Battle of Shiloh
This was a huge battle that occurred at and around the city of Shiloh and was a huge Union victory as General Grant porved that he was willing to pay any price for victory.Signifance of it was that the Union had a victory to celebrate and they were begginnnig to advance into Tennessee. -
Seven Days Battle
This occurred at Hernico County, Virginia from June 25th to July 1st the Confederates defeated the Union forces and ended the Seven days campaign and this boosted COnfederate moral adn hurt Union moral. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
This was another battle at Bull Run and for the second time the Confederates defeated the Union forces gathered their. It was significant because it gave Lee enough confidence to take the battle into the North which would be a turning point of the war. -
Battle of Antietam
Lee launched an attack into Northern territory and they fought at Sharpsburg Maryland along the river Antitam. IT was a major Union Victory that helped to change the momentumof the war as it gave Lincoln and the Union something to celebrate and it allowed him to release his Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
This battle occured around the city of Fredericksburg and was the sole battle that Burnside was in commmand for. It was a clear Confederate victory that helped to prevent the Union from being able to lay seige to Richmond. -
Battle of Stones River
This battle occurred at Stones River in Murfreesboro, TN and was a Union victory for general Rosencrans. THe significance of the battle was that it kept driving the confederates out of Tennessee and kept them from being able to stall the advance of the Union. -
Emancipation Proclomation
Abraham Lincoln announces that all the slaves in the rebelling states are now freemen and that they could join the Union with no fear of penalty. This was big because it made the war into a moral conflict over slavery instead of focused solely on the keeping of the Union. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Lee and Stonewall Jackson battled Hooker and gave the army of the Potomac a crushing defeat as Lee used an interesting strategy to win. It occurred around the town of Chancellorsville and the real significance other then the Confederate victory to keep up moral was that JAckson was injured and would later develop pneumonia and die. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle takes palce around and in the town of Gettysburg Pennyslvania and was the last battle in the north during the war. It was a Union voctory barely as they won the war of attrition and completely staggered Lee and his forces. The significance of this battle was that it killed so many of Lee's men that he would never recover adn have his force at the same strength again and it eliminated any chance of the Confederates taking the battle into the north. -
Seige of Vicksburg
The Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, along the Mississippi river, which had held out since may 18 fell into Union hands whcih was a crushing Union victory over the South. S This divided the South in half and helped to complete the Anaconda plan that the Union had been attempting. This just nembered the days of the Confederacy. -
Bsttle of Chickmagua
This was another battle that occurred in the state of Tennessee and was a good Confederate Victory over the Union but bad tactical planning hurt how big the victory was. The significanc eof the battle was that the Confederates didnt press their advantage and so failed to rout the Union. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln commemorates the soldiers who fought and died at the battle of Gettysburg and uses it as an oppurtunity to boost Union moral and to drive home the point of a Union voctory is close. This is a significant speech because it is where Lincoln begins to reveal his vision for the future of the United States. -
Battle of Chatttoonoga
The Union attacks the encircling forces of the Confederates outside of the fort at Chattoonaga TN and with Rant in command win a decisive victory over the Confederates. The significance of this battle is that it leaves the Union free advance straight into the heart of the Confederacy. -
Battle of the Wilderness
THis occurs in Virginia and is the start of a long series of clashes between General GRant and general Lee and this abttle showcases Grant's strategy to win the war. Their was no real winner of this battle but it did prove that Grant's war of attrition could work whihc was significant for the outcome of the war. -
Bsttle of Spotsylvania
This is another clash between the froces of Lee and Grant and again thier is no clear winner. Also it again occurs in Virginia this time around the Appomatox courhouse. THe significanc eof the battle was that Grants advance was slowed down during the fighting which gave the Confederates a small moral boost but Grant could not be stopped. -
Lincoln Re-elected President
Abraham Lincoln due to the succes of the Union in the war in the past few months at this time is re-elected as president .This is huge as he was key in the war effort for the Union and was a major factor in driving the North on to continue fighting the Confederacy p[lus it allowed him to continue to campaign to free the slaves. -
Sherman's march to the Sea
Sherman begins his march to the Sea by leaving Atlanta burning in his wake as he sets out to destroy the ability of the South to make war. The significanc eof this is widespread but essentially this sets off the end stage of the war and will cause the southern economy to have to adapt to a new way of life. The march to the sea would end April 26th 1865 leaving behind a giant scar across the South. -
Battle of Franklin
This battle occurrd on the outskirts of the town of Franklin, TN and was a major Union victory over the Confederates. For once the Uninon was on the defensive and it proved valuable as the Confederate troops lost a lot of men and gained very little ground on the Union. This battle boosted Union moral and hurt Confederate moral badly. -
Lincoln's Second Inaguration
Abraham Lincoln is inagurated for the second time solidifying guarenteeing that hew will be president. THis makes sure that the North will see the war through to the end and that slavrey will be fought. -
Surrender at Appomatox Courthouse
General Lee for the Confederates surrenders to genreal Grant of the Union at Appomatox Courthouse in Virginia. This unofficially ended the war as the Confederates best and greatest genral had admitted defeat. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
A radical Confederate sympathizer shoots Abraham Lincoln ,at Ford theatre, in the back of the end fatally wounding him as he would die the next day. This throws the Union into turmoil and creates a lot of confusion on what the plan is for the end of the war wihtout Lincoln leading. -
Official End of the Civil War
The last COnfederate army surrenders in Mississippi officially ending any more fighting that can happen between the Union and the Confederay. This starts the process of reconstruction in the South as the war begins to be cleaned up.
