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Henry Repeating Rifle Invented
The Henry Repeating Rifle was invented by Benjamin Henry. The Henry rifle was able to shoot more rounds and have a quick reload time and it becomes one of the most common weapons used in this time era and changes the course of technology. -
The Pony Express
The Pony Express was a mail service used by horseback which sped up mail deliveries and an estimated delivery from Atlantic to Pacific was around a 10-day delivery span. -
Other Southern States Follow South Carolina in Debate for Secession
As South Carolina debates for their secession from the Union other southern states follow. -
Train Industry Advances
In 1860 there were reportedly more than 30,000 miles of railroad tracks in the U.S. in 1860 -
Period: to
United States Civil War
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Jefferson Davis Reveals He is in Favor of Secession
Jefferson Davis announced that he was in favor of secession from the Union for the first time. -
Cooper Union Address
Lincoln gives the Cooper Union Address, in which he validated the Federal Government banning slavery in new territories. This was Lincoln's most influential speech and many people believe it won him the presidency. -
Constitutional Union Party Forms
The former members of the American and Whig parties meet in Baltimore and form the Constitutional Union Party, They elect John Bell to be their candidate for president and Edward Everett as a candidate for vice president. -
Lincoln Faces Split Democratic Party
As Lincoln had won his election after all Lincoln had faced a very split Democratic party in his run. -
Abraham Lincoln Nominated as President of the United States
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was nominated as the 16th president of the U.S. -
Grace Bedell Writes to Lincoln
Grace Bedell an 11 year old girl decided to write to President Lincoln about growing out his beard because his face was thin. Lincoln listened to her and decided to grow it out. -
Southern Secession is Urged
Seven senators and twenty-three representatives issue a manifesto urging southern secession. It also recommends forming a Southern Confederacy. -
The South Seperates
With the southern states seceding from the Union they form into the Confederate States of America (CSA). -
Secession of South Carolina
One of the first southern states to secede from the Union was South Carolina and after that more southern states followed. -
Lincoln is Inaugurated
On March 4th of 1861, Lincoln takes office as the 16th president of the U.S. -
Slavery is Still in Action as of now
As Lincoln takes office Lincoln did not take any action yet in abolishing slavery yet. -
Lincoln is Aware of Fort Sumter Threats
Lincoln knows Fort Sumter needs more supplies and men in order to defend it but instead replies with only food for an excuse to go to war without the North starting it. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
This was the attack that started the Civil War. The South was the first to engage in violence making a valuable excuse for Lincoln to declare for war. -
Proclamation of Blockades
President Lincoln establishes a Proclamation of Blockades to block off southern ports. -
Four Slave States Remain in the Union
The four slave states that remained with the Union were Deleware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri all still accepted slavery but did not join the Confederacy. -
Union is Angered by Secession and Attack
The Union is now at the beginning of the war along with the South as their own nation. -
Battle of Bull Run
The first battle of the Civil War is called the Battle of Bull Run. The South declares victory in this battle. -
Battle of Port Royal Ferry
On January 1st, there was the Battle of Port Royal Ferry. The battle was 25 miles away from Hilton Head. This expedition which achieved Union victory was on a combined land and a naval ship. -
Jackson loses 10,000 of his men
On January 4, 1862, Jackson's reputation for keeping his men on the move was cemented when Union forces could barely find his 10,000 men who were on the march. -
McClellan Loses Command
McClellan was relieved his position of supreme command and was given command of the Army of the Potomac, which is a less powerful position. In his new command, he ordered an attack to Richmond. -
Attempting to Reduce the North's Great Naval Advantage
There was an attempt to reduce the North's great naval advantage, Confederate engineers converted a scuttled Union frigate, the U.S.S. Merrimac, into an iron-sided vessel rechristened the C.S.S. Virginia. -
Battle of Shiloh
On April 6, 1862, the Confederate attacked the Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant, when the Confederate forces retreated, the exhausted federal forces did not follow. -
The Battle of Seven Pines
On May 31, the Confederate army assaulted federal forces in Seven Pines, practically defeating them; last-minute reinforcements saved the Union from a serious loss. Confederate commander Joseph E. Johnston was severely hurt, and told of the Army of Northern Virginia fell to Robert E. Lee. -
Battle of Richmond
General McClellan was ordered to attack Richmond, Kentucky. This resulted in a Confederate victory. -
Harper's Ferry
General McClellan defeated Confederate General Lee at South Mountain and Crampton’s gap but did not move fast enough to save Harper’s Ferry. -
Antietam
The 17th was the bloodiest day in war, the battle had no clear winner McClellan was considered victor due to General Lee withdrawing to Virginian. -
The Resignation of William Seward
On December 16th, a Republican caucus Senators vote 13-11 to support a resolution calling for the resignation of William Seward. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on this date. It stated, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious areas "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Battle of Arkansas Post
The Battle of Arkansas Post was fought from January 9 until 11, 1863, near the mouth of Arkansas at Arkansas Post, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Although a Union victory, it did not move them any closer to Vicksburg. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. -
Battle of Big Black River Bridge
The Battle of Big Black River Bridge, or Big Black, fought May 17, 1863, was part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. -
The Battle of Vicksburg
This battle ended on July the 4th with a Union win because the city and Confederates had run out of supplies. -
The Battle of Gettysburg Begins
The Batlle of Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of the Civil War. Over 50,000 Americans lost their lives in the three days of this battle. The Union who started with 2,750,000 men, lost 360,222 men. The Confederate started with anywhere from 750,000 to 1,250,000 men and lost 258,000. -
Pickett's Charge (Third and final day of Gettysburg)
Pickett's Charge was one of Robert E. Lee's biggest mistakes in the Civil War. The Confederate's casualties were 5,675 while the Union suffered from a smaller loss of about 1,500. After the charge, the Confederate Army retreated, and later Lee resigned from the army. -
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18 – 20, 1863, between U.S. and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. -
Battle of Bean's Station
The Battle of Bean's Station was a battle of the Knoxville Campaign of the American Civil War, occurring on December 14, 1863, in Grainger County, Tennessee. General James Longstreet had been outside of Knoxville until December 4, when he abandoned their position and left heading Northeast. -
The 13th Amendment
On January 11, 1864, The 13th Amendment (Ending of Slavery) to the Constitution is proposed by Senator John B. Henderson of Missouri John B. worked with Abraham Lincoln during the civil war but he was very conservative on slavery but still supported Abraham Lincoln. -
Reconstruction Acts of 1867
On March 2, 1867, Congress enacted the Reconstruction Acts (series of 4 acts though this is one of them) which divided the South (except Tennessee since it had readmitted into the Union) into five military districts where the military or army commander has supreme power or authority to the state government. Under the terms of the new acts, new constitutions were written in the south and by 1868, 6 states had readmitted into the union. -
Grant’s Wilderness Campaign
May 4, 1864, was the Grant’s Wilderness Campaign It was against Ulysses s. Grant and Robert E. Lee they had fought in the dense Virginia woods known as the Wilderness it was two days of fighting it had ended in a draw and there were many casualties on the union side but Grant's Campaign was successful. -
The Battle of Spotsylvania
Ulysses S. Grant army marched to Robert E.Lee for war once again at the crossroads towns of Spotsylvania courthouse the next day Over the 12 days the union troops got out of the Confederate line then the battle, which cost 18,000 Union and 11,000 Confederate casualties, included nearly 20 hours of brutal hand-to-hand combat at the infamous “Bloody Angle.” -
The Siege of Petersburg
The battle in Petersburg was between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee this wasn’t the last war between them The two massive armies would not become disentangled until April 9, 1865, when Lee surrendered and his men went home. -
The Battle of Cold Harbor
Grant again attacked Confederate forces at Cold Harbor, losing over 7,000 men in twenty minutes which is about 350 men dying each minute. Although Lee suffered fewer casualties, his army never recovered from Grant's attacks. -
Confederate Troops Approach Washington D.C
Confederate General Jubal Early led his forces into Maryland to relieve the pressure on Lee's army. Early got within five miles of Washington, D.C., but on July 13, he was driven back to Virginia. -
Abraham Lincoln is Re-Elected
The Republican party nominated President Abraham Lincoln as its presidential candidate and Andrew Johnson for vice-president. The Democratic party chose General George B. McClellan for president and George Pendleton for vice- president. -
General William T. Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign
Union General Sherman departed Chattanooga and was soon met by Confederate General Joseph Johnston. The skillful strategy enabled Johnston to hold off Sherman's force -- almost twice the size of Johnston's. Johnston tactics that he had made his superiors replace him with John bell hood. -
Fort Monroe and Hampton, Virginia
Its own intrinsic strength and the ease with which it could be supplied and reinforced by sea kept the largest American fort in federal hands throughout the war. Fort Monroe was the starting point for McClellan's Peninsular Campaign in 1862 and for Butler's advance to Petersburg in 1864. The photographs depict only uneventful garrison life toward the end of 1864. -
The Defenses of Washington
The Defenses of Washington covered 68 forts, with 93 detached batteries for guns. Also, wooden blockhouses used as forts, 32 miles of military roads, several stockaded bridgeheads, and four picket stations. -
The Fall of the Confederacy
One of the reasons why the Confederacy fell was transportation problems which caused a shortage of food and supplies, which resulted in soldiers leaving. President Davis approved of arming slaves because of the shortage of the army but wasn’t used. -
A Peace Conference
The Hampton Roads Conference was a peace conference between The United States and The Confederate States on the Steamboat River Queen in Hampton Roads Virginia to discuss ending the Civil War. President Davis, however, insisted that Lincoln should recognize the south's independence but he refused and the conference ended in hours. -
Sherman Marches through North and South Carolina
Letter from General Sherman to President Lincoln. The 300-mile march began on November 15, 1864. After his controversial march from Atlanta to Savannah, Sherman turned his army of 60,000 north. Living off the land and destroying public buildings and factories, the Union commander brought his "total war" policy to a state that had been slow to secede. Johnston, recently placed in command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, failed to stop Sherman at the Battle of Bentonville. -
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
The purpose of the second inaugural address was to talk about the American Civil War. Also, the war was soon ending and he also stated how to bring the Confederates back. -
Fallen Richmond
In 1865 March 25, General Lee attacked General Grant’s forces around the area of Petersburg. Although he ended up losing and attacked again on April 1, then on April 2 Lee evacuated the city of Richmond. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
General Lee’s army troops were soon to be surrounded, on April 7, Grant called Lee to surrender. On April 9, the two commanders met each other at Appomattox Courthouse. -
Final Surrenders Among Remaining Confederate Troops
President Johnson issued a proclamation announcing the end of the American Civil War: "And I do further proclaim that the said insurrection is at an end and that peace, order, tranquility, and civil authority now exists in and throughout the whole of the United States of America." With that proclamation, the United States officially closed a costly, bloody, and deadly chapter in its nation's history that started at Fort Sumter several years—and hundreds of thousands live earlier. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater in Washington. Booth was caught and killed eleven days later in Virginia. Nine other people who were also involved in the assassination were later hanged or imprisoned. -
The Grand Review of the Army
The army of the Potomac went parading on May 23, and the army of Georgia Went parading on May 24. Although most of the photographs, Were thought to have been taken by Brady himself. -
NLU Created
The National Labor Union was created in 1866 by William H. Sylvis. This organization linked existing unions and led to the legalization of 8-hour work days. -
Andrew Johnson Takes Presidency
After Lincoln's assassination Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's vice president at the time so he was next in line for the job. -
The Lost Treasury's Effect On Today
During the war, loyal Confederate supporters gave all their gold and silver to the government in exchange for Confederate paper money. When the war ended the paper money became useless, and the once wealthy population was left poor. The government couldn’t even give them their gold back. There are treasure hunters to this day looking for hidden or “lost” Confederate gold, and there’s even a TV show dedicated to hunters looking for the gold called Rebel Gold. -
KKK's Effect On The US After War
The forming of this group was important because not only was it the start of a very infamous group that still goes on in some places in the south today, but it helps us understand the group’s early goals compared to what they’ve achieved and why they’ve done the things they’ve done. They've murdered, mutilated, kidnapped, raped, hung, and threatened hundreds of blacks, and just during Reconstruction was present in 9 states. -
Rising of the KKK
The KKK was a started as a social group in Tennessee 1866. A year later it actually formed as a political group, made up of all white males intent on defeating the Radical Republicans and controlling the freed slaves. Some people who helped found the group were Nathan Bedford Forrest and John B. Gordon. The KKK today is known for their racism and violence. They lost Republicans votes by scaring the voters off. They threatened, exiled, and murdered to get to their goals. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave citizenship and the same rights that the white citizens get to all persons in the United States “without distinction of race or color or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude.” It became law after overturning Andrew Johnson's veto on April 9, 1866. -
Congress Overrides the President's Veto
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 granted citizenship to all male persons in the US, regardless of color or wealth, and guaranteed these males and former slaves protection by the law. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the act, saying it invaded both the legislative and judicial power. He also claimed it went against the constitution. He vetoed the bill, but about 2/3rds of Congress overrode the veto. This was the first time Johnson was overridden and it gave the Radicals confidence. -
Memphis Massacre (Race Riot)
A riot between the police, whites, and African Americans had caused the death of 2 whites and 46 blacks along with the destruction of 3 black churches, 8 schools, and 50 homes. The event wound up helping shape Reconstruction and speed the passing of the 14th amendment due to the shock and effect on the country. (it actually made the Republicans speed up and try harder in controlling the South) -
Congressional Elections of 1866
The Congressional Elections of 1866 is actually a very important event in the Reconstruction Era simply because of its cause and effect relationship. The election gave 175 seats to the Radical Republicans, making up one-third of Congress. The effect was good for American history because this was the Congress of Reconstruction. The people that held seats, mostly the Republicans, passed all the important laws of the time and overrode President Johnson 15 times. -
New Orleans Race Riot
After recent “Black Codes” Republicans were determined to secure rights for all Americans so they set the Louisiana Constitutional Convention. During that a fight between armed whites and black marching in protest. The unarmed blacks were attacked and some killed (law enforcement officers were part of it). The riot was stopped with 38 dead. (city placed under martial law for days) it also shocked the country and cause Republicans and northerners to take further action. -
Ohio Ratifies the 14th Amendment
Ohio ratifies the 14th Amendment on January 4th, 1867. -
Kentucky Rejects the 14th Amendment
Kentucky becomes one of the first states to reject the 14th Amendment. -
Virginia Rejects the 14th Amendment
Virginia rejects the 14th Amendment. -
African Americans Can Vote
African Americans in Washington D. C. gain the right to vote in a bill passed over President Andrew Johnson's veto. -
New York Ratifies the 14th Amendment
New York joins many other states and ratifies the 14th Amendment. -
Kansas Ratifies the 14th Amendment
Kansas ratifies the 14th Amendment. -
Illinois Ratifies the 14th Amendment
Illinois ratifies the 14th Amendment like Pennsylvania and New York. -
West Virgina Ratifies the 14th Amendment
West Virginia ratifies the 14th Amendment like Illinois, PA, and NY. -
Michigan Ratifies the 14th Amendment
Michigan ratifies the 14th Amendment like West Virginia, Illinois and Pennsylvania. -
14th Amendment
All American citizens have the right to be declared as American Citizens disregarding race, culture, religion, etc. -
Alaska is Formerly Acquired
The United States officially takes possession of Alaska from Russia. $7.2 million is paid for it.
