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Election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln won the election as the Republican candidate. He was elected despite no support from the entire South.
This caused several Southern states to secede. -
Crittenden Compromise
The senator from Kentucky tries to prevent the Civil war. He offered a compromise where a constitutional amendment would recognize slavery. Abraham Lincoln defeated it. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was a federal fort surrounded by Confederates. Lincoln sent some supplies to them. The confederates then shelled the fort until they surrendered, -
Battle of Bull Run
Bull Run was a creek in Virginia. The Union army was on its way to besiege Richmond but were stopped by “Stonewall” Jackson. The Union fled but the Confederates didn’t pursue. Only a few hundred people died on each side. The Union was stopped from advancing to Richmond and was an eye opener to war. -
Battles of Fort Henry
Ulysses S. Grant won this battle in Tennessee. It was the 1st important Union victory in the Western theater. It helped eventually capture the Missisippi. -
Monitor and Merrimack
This was the most important naval battle of the Civil War. The Monitor and Merrimack were the first ironclad ships to fight together in battle. The indecisive battle affected naval technology worldwide. -
Antietam
This battle had the most deadliest day in war. Each side lost about 13,000 men. Gen. McClellan halted Gen. Lee’s invasion of Maryland. The victory allowed Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredricksburg (Virginia)
This was the costliest defeat of the North. Gen. Burnside lead the North against Lee. The Union had futile frontal attacks resulting in over 12,000 Union deaths, more than twice the Confederate Deaths. Because he lost, Burnside was replaced by Gen. Hooker. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The battle of Antietam was the victory that allowed the proclamation. The proclamation "freed" the slaves in the Confederacy. It didn't have an immediate affect of freeing any slaves but shifted the war objective -
Federal Draft Act
President Lincoln signs the act. It forced people to fight in the Civil War. This later causes draft riots in New York. -
Gettysburg
Generals Lee and Meade fought here in the most important Civil War battle. 51,000 casualties occurred. The Confederates unsuccessfully attacked with Pickett's Charge.
The battle forced the Confederates to retreat and stopped the movement into union territory, ensuring they wouldn’t have a major offensive again. -
Battle of Vicksburg
It was a battle in Mississippi lead by Gen. Grant. Around 8,000 people were killed in total. Grant sieged the city until everyone starved. They were able to cut the South into two by controlling the Mississippi River. The battle helped Grant’s military career so that he would become the general in the East. -
Gettysburg Address
This was one of the greatest speeches in American History. He reiterated the principles of human equality. He made the Civil War a fight for equality -
Atlanta Campaign
Union General Sherman invaded Georgia to capture Atlanta Sherman was victorious. This helped Abraham Lincoln get relected. -
Reelection of Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was relected. He ran against Democratic candidate McClellan. Abraham Lincoln won becaus he joined with the war Democrats to form the National Union Party. Soldiers and military successes also helped -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's troops left Atlanta to capture the port of Savannah. Sherman operated without supply lines deep in enemy territory. His fighting destroyed Southern infrastructure with scorched earth warfare. -
Surrender at Appotamox Court House
There was a battle with several hundred killed. When Gen. Lee saw the size of the army, he surrendered to Grant. This effectively ended the civil war. Grant was generous and didn’t punish the Confederates much. -
Assasination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was assasinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater. This happened 5 days after the war ended. Andrew Johnson became one of the least popular presidents upon Lincoln's death. -
13th Amendement
The amendment was passed by Congress. It abolished all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude. This finally freed all of the slaves.
