-
Fort Sumter
The Battle at Fort Sumter happened when the Confederacy started firing at Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina. The Union had to fire back, but in the end they had to surrender. This battle was significant because it essentially started the Civil War. -
First Battle at Bull Run
This battle happened because Lincoln had a plan to invade the Confederate Capital, and the Union and Confederacy armies clashed near Manassas, VA. The fight breaks out by a creek called Bull Run. The North is taken aback because the Confederacy holds their own, and they are forced to take the Confederacy serious now. -
Battle of Antietam
The Union attacked the Confederate army at Antietam Creek. They fought all day with no one gaining any lead when Lee finally withdew into Virginia. McClellan should've pursued him, but he did not. This was significant because it was a big Union victory and prompted Abraham Lincoln to release the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in rebelling states. He waited until after the Battle of Antietam to make the Emancipation Proclamation seem as a strong decision. This event was significant because he eliminated the backbone of the Connfederacy in order for them to submit back into the Union. -
Formation of the 54th Regiment of Massachussetts
The 54th of Massachussetts was a regiment formed by African-American men after the Emancipation Proclamation. There was an influx of African-Americans signing up to fight for the Union when they got freed. The 54th of Massachussetts was significant because it was one of the biggest and was one of the only all-black regiments(except for the officers) to actually fight in the war. They fought at Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. -
Battle at Gettysburg
Lee was heading to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where there was a rumored supply of shoes, when his troops ran into Union troops. After both groups call for reinforcents, fighting breaks out for 3 days. This was significant because it was a big Union victory and raised their morale. It was also the last time Lee would invade the north, and it diminished their hope of getting European help. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Ulysses S. Grant and his army had settled in for a siege at Vicksburg to completely surround the city and finally take control over the Mississippi river. After a month and a half, the Confederate soldiers surrendered, This was significant because it gave the Union control over the river and finalized their Anaconda Plan. -
New York City Draft Riots
As laws that reuired able-bodied white men between 18 and 45 years old, poor people, which were the ones being drafted, started rioting. It started from a few to then a fully fledged mob running all over the city. It had to be stopped by the military being called in by Abraham Lincoln. This was a significant because they were rioting due to the unfairness of the draft. One of the main reasons of the war was the fight for slavery, yet only a wealthy few owned slaves, and they weren't fighting. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak in dedication of a cemetery for soldiers who were buried there. There, he declared that they should keep on fighting as to not let those who died die in vain and to not let their country fall. This is significant because it strengthened Union morale and motivated them after a big win. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
As General Grant was pursuing Lee in Virgina, General William Sherman was leading a march of total war through the South. They destroyed properties and crops and brought terror to the South. This was significant because it was the first time the tactic of terror in total war was used in America. Sherman's destruction spanned 60 miles wide and 300 miles long. -
Creation of Freedman's Bureau
The Freedman's bureau was created after the civil war to help protect the rights of and help former slaves. This was significant because it was the first federal agency specifically created to help and educate the black population. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
When Grant was chasing Lee around in Virginia, Lee was still wanting to fight but knew he had to surrender. They both agreed to meet in a small town in Virginia. The surrender was significant because the terms of surrender were simply to stop fighting and return home in peace. This war had split up the American people and tore the Southern economy, and after this surrender, they had to begin the Reconstruction Era. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
5 days after the Confederacy surrenders, Lincoln gets shot at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C.. He was killed by a famous actor John Wilkes Booth as part of a larger conspiracy to take down the Union government. This was significant because it would enable Andrew Johnson to create a new, less forgiving plan to handle the reentering Confederate states. It would change the way the nation would build up again. -
The 13th Amendment
When Lincoln got reelected in 1864, he took this to mean that the people of America are supporting him to do what he needs to do to end the war. He was urging Congress to pass the 13th Amendment to end slavery everywhere. This is significant because it removes the whole basis of the Southern economy and fortifies the national government. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment states that all people born in the US were citizens and had the same rights. Congress said if any state tries to keep blacks from voting, they would lose representatives. This is significant because these are all efforts to stop the Southern states to going back to their old government and give freedmen equal rights. -
15th Amendment
Because the South was coming up with new ways to prevent freedmen from voting, Congress passes the 15th Amendment forbidding laws and barriers like literacy tests and grandfather clauses. This is significant because it is a further step to help the black population, and it shows how the South is so desperately dodging and breaking all the new laws. -
End of Recontruction
Rutherford B Hayes was elected President in 1976, and he struck a deal with the South to withdraw troops. In 1877, he withdrew the last federal troops, ending their overlook on reconstruction and leaving the Southern states unsupervised. By doing so, he ended the Reconstruction Era and harmed the freedom of former slaves by no longer protecting them and their rights. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
When Plessy stepped into the "whites only" car of a segregated train, he was arrested and convicted for breaking the law. The Supreme court ruled against him saying segregation was not against the Constitution. This is significant because their ruling enforced the new society where people are "separated but equal" for half a century.
