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Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States. He was the first Republican to ever be elected. Although he only had 40 percent of the popular vote, he beat the other three candidates. He ran against Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, and Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator for Illinois. -
Lower South Secedes
A convention was held at the Institute Hall in Charleston, South Carolina. The meeting was to decide whether South Carolina wanted to secede from the south or not. They voted and decided to become the first southern state to declare their secession from the Union. -
April-May 1861 Upper South Secedes
Lincoln called for 75,000 soldiers to put down the rebellion. He called for an insurrection. As a result, four southern states decided to withdraw from the union. Virginia seceded on April 17, Arkansas on May 6, North Caolina on May 20, and Tennessee on June 8. -
Firing on Fort Sumter
Being the source for the tension between the Union and the Confederacy, the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter which was located in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. After South Carolina seceded, the state wanted Fort Sumter to be turned over. However, Union officials refused to do so. The Confederates opened fire on the fort at 4:30 a.m. on April 12th. Major Robert Anderson, the commander of Fort Sumter, refused to surrender before the Confederates opened fire. However, during the attack, the -
Confederacy Seeks Help from Europe
The Confederecy seeked help from Europe. They did this because they were outnumbered and needed help from ouside sources. Also, they didn't have the resources to make enough weapons and ammunition. Overal, they needed extra strength so they seeked help from Europe. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The Battle of Bull Run was known as one of the first major land battles of the CIvil War between the Union and the Confederates. The battle began when around 35,000 Union troops, after marching from the capital, struck a Confederate force of around 20,000 men along a small river called Bull Run. The Confederates ended up taking the victory. -
Congress Passes First Federal Income Tax
Lincoln imposed the first federal income tax. He signed the Revenue Act. During the Civil War, the government had a hard time wit money. In order to fix that problem, Lincoln along with the Congress decided to have a 3 percent tax on annual incomes over $800. -
Battle of Forts Henry and Donelson
The battle of Fort Henry was extremely significant bacuse it was the first major victory for the Union. Forts Henry and Donelson basically guarded the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Under the pressure of Abraham Lincoln, Union commanders from the west were told to take action on the forts. Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, supported by flag officer Andrew Foote made their way up the rivers with 15,000 men. Several days later, Grant defeated Fort Donelson. -
Battle of the Moniter and Merrimack
The Moniter and the Merrimack were two ironclad ships. They fought in a battle in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Although the battle lasted all morning, the ships' armor plates easily deflected the cannon shots. At the end, both ships tied for the victory. -
Confederacy Composes a Draft
Because they needed more support, The first general American military draft was enacted by the Confederate government. The draft stated that if you were a man between the ages of 18 and 35, along with being in good health, you would serve 3 years in the service. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
This second battle of Bull Run was fought in the same place as the first. However, it was different because the seocond battle was much larger than the first. At the end, General Robert E. Lee's army defeated General John Pope's army. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle took place near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The significance of this battle was that it was the first to take place on Union ground. Here, the Army of the Potomac, under the command of George McClellan, attacked Robert E. Lee’s army. The battle ended in a draw but the Confederate retreat gave Lincoln the victory. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was created by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln supported abolitionists and disagreed strongly with slavery. The document stated that any slaves who were still in the rebellious staes “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” -
Siege of Vicksburg
The Siege of Vicksburg was significant because it was the final major military action in the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant along with his army crossed the Mississippi River. Then they drove Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's Confederate army around the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Confederates surrendered. -
Battle of Gettysberg
This battle took place in Gettysberg, Pennsylvania. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee had his forces ready for the arrival of Union Gen. George G. Meade’s forces. This was a very significant battle because after, Lee decided it was his last time trying to invade the North. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea describes the Savannah Campaign during the Civil War. Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army took his troops on a campaign from Atlanta, Georgia (which was captured at the time) on November 15 and ended on December 21 with the capture of Savannah. -
Thirteenth Ammendment Proposed
In the Constitution, the 13th Ammendment stated that, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The 13th Ammendment was ffinally passed by Congress when slavery was oficially abolished. -
Confederate Forces Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
This battle was fought near Appomattox Courthouse. There, General Lee's Army got trapped by General Grant's Union soldiers. They could not escape when they tried because they were surrounded. Because of this, General Lee surrended. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
In Washington D.C, President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln did not die directly on the scene. Luckily, there was a doctor in the crowd who helped him and brought him to safety but Lincoln died the next morning. Lincoln was the first President of the United States to be assassinated.
