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South Carolina First to Secede
South Carolina officially secedes from the Union, becoming the first state to do so. -
Ft. Sumter attacked
Lincoln decides to supply Ft. Sumter, but wants the South to fire the first shot. A federal outpost in Carolina that was attacked by Confederate troops, which began the Civil War. -
Civil War Begins
Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard bombard Major Robert Anderson and his Union soldiers at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War officially begins. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War and the Confederates victory. McDowell (Union General) is defeated causing a panic retreat back to Washington, which is about forty miles away. The withdrawal was hampered by the large numbers of spectators who are all there to see the battle. It quickly shattered the North’s hopes of winning the war. -
Battle of Shiloh
The ensuing battle results in the union Army gaining greater control of the Mississippi River valley. -
The Seven Day's Battle
A course of seven days of fighting, General Robert E. Lee attacks George McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac near Richmond, Virginia. The Seven Day’s Battle that forced the Union army to retreat from near Richmond. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
The three-day battle became known as The Second Battle of Bull Run. It was a resounding victory for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Union General John Pope is blamed for the loss and is relieved of his duties after the battle. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam or also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, it was bloodiest single-day battle in the Civil War in United States history. Over 26,000 men are killed, wounded or missing in action on both sides. Though a draw, stops the battle General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland and he retreats back to Virginia. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. It frees all slaves in the territory they were captured by the Union Army, and orders the enrollment of black soldiers. From this point, the Civil War is a war over slavery. -
Battle of Chickamauga
Union General William Rosecrans is defeated by Confederate General Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Chickamauga, in Tennessee. -
Battle of the Wilderness
During the horrific Battle of the Wilderness, thousands of men burn to death and the woods in which they were fighting catch fire. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ends Slavery
The United States Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which will abolish slavery. -
Second Lincoln Inaugural
Lincoln is sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. -
Lincoln Killed
Abraham Lincoln shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.
