Civil War

Election of 1860

Nov 6, 1860

Abraham Lincoln wins the election, causing the south to secede before inauguration.

Secession

Dec 20, 1860

11 Southern states attempted to withdrawal from the union, starting the civil war.

Battle of Fort Sumter

Apr 12, 1861

Bombardment of Fort Sumter held by Robert Anderson and the union near Charleston, South Carolina by the South Carolina militia. This battle started the Civil War.

First Battle of Bull Run

Jul 21, 1861

First major battle of the civil war, resulting in a Confederate victory and shocking the North. The Union troops were led by Generals Irvan McDowell and Robert Patterson, while the Confederates were led by General P.G.T. Beauregard and General Joseph E. Johnston.

Battle of Pea Ridge

Mar 7, 1862

Battle in Arkansas where 11,000 union troops under General Samuel Curtis defeated 16,000 confederate troops led by generals Earl Van Dorn, Sterling Price, and Ben McCulloch.

Battle of Hampton Roads (Battle of the Ironclads)

Mar 8, 1862

Naval battle between two ironclad ships: the Confederate Merrimak and the Monitor. This was the first battle between ironclad warships and marked the end of wooden ship battles.

Battle of New Orleans

Apr 25, 1862

The Battle of New Orleans was a huge turning point in the war, as Union General David G. Farragut attacked and captured New Orleans with Naval battleships against Confederate General Mansfield Lovell and his troops.

Second Battle of Bull Run

Aug 28, 1862

Battle fought in Virginia, with the Confederate army led by general Robert E. Lee and the Union led by John Pope. The Confederates won, with rebels raiding the Manassas base and burning the depot.

Battle of Antietam

Sep 17, 1862

Union General George B. McClellan led his troops to victory against Robert E. Lee in Sharpsburg, Maryland. It was the bloodiest day in American history and influenced Abraham Lincoln to pass the Emancipation Proclamation.

Battle of Fredericksburg

Dec 11, 1862

Confederate victory in Fredericksburg, Virginia led by Robert E. Lee against General Ambrose Burnside.

Emancipation Proclomation

Jan 1, 1863

Proclamation that stated all slaves held by the rebellious states were to be set free.

Enrollment Act

Mar 3, 1863

An Act passed by Congress that drafted Northern citizens into the Union army.

Battle of Gettysburg

Jul 1, 1863

General Robert E. Lee attempted to invade the north in Gettysburg, but his army was destroyed by George Meade and the Northern troops.

Gettysburg Address

Nov 19, 1863

A speech by Abraham Lincoln that attempted to unite the country and set up future plans for it.

Battle of Atlanta

Jul 21, 1864

A Confederate base in Atlanta, Georgia was infiltrated by General William Tecumseh Sherman and his union troops successfully against John Bell Hood.

Election of 1864

Nov 8, 1864

Election that took place during the Civil War with Lincoln's National Union Party against the Democratic General George B. McClellan. Lincoln swiftly won the election.

Sherman's March to the Sea

Nov 15, 1864

General William T. Sherman of the union led 60,000 troops from Atlanta to Savanna, Georgia to destroy supplies. The purpose was to stop Southern civilians from supplying their army and to end the war quicker.

Capture of Richmond

Apr 2, 1865

Union General Ulysses S. Grant captured Richmond from the Confederate army, forcing them to surrender and driving out their government.

General Robert E. Lee surrenders

Apr 9, 1865

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Northern General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, ending the war.

Lincoln assassination

Apr 14, 1865

President Abraham Lincoln is shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth at the Ford's Theatre.