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Election of Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was elected because the South split into two political parties. This means there were more votes for Lincoln. If they did not split up Abraham would not have been elected and slavery would have lasted longer. The South wasnt happy with no slaves. -
Texas Secedes from the Union
Texas was unhappy with Abraham Lincoln being elected and abolishing slavery. They depended on slaves for their plantations. Staying in the Union would have Texas' economy collapse. Therefore Texas had to leave the Union. This would later mean war between the Union and Confederate States. -
Houston gets Kicked out of Office
Sam Houston was going to get kicked out of office. But before they could Sam quit because he did not want to pledge to the Union. As Governor in 1861, Houston was strongly opposed to the secession of Texas from the Union. Houston retired to the privacy of his home at Huntsville, Texas. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Anderson and 85 soldiers were at Fort Sumter when they became surrounded by the Confederates. With little food and water Anderson was soon forced to surrender after stayin in the battle for several days. He only demanded a 100 gun salute before he and his men evacuated the Fort the next day. -
Battle of Galveston
Confederates wanted to recapture Galveston. They headed to battle with four gunboats. The Confederate forces ended up driving out the Union ships that had held Galveston Harbor therefore retaking Galveston. This was a long battle lasting several months and it remained under Confederate control. -
Battle of Sabine Pass
The Union was passing through the Sabine river with four gunboats. The Union was headed to Fort Griffon and started firing cannons. Fort Griffon only ahd a 44 men force but they forced the Union ships to stop.The Confederates captured one gunboat and captured about 200 prisoners. -
Red River Campaign
This event took place on March 10 – May 22, 1864. The Red River Campaign was a series of battles fought along the Red River. The Union forces sailed up the Red River in hopes to capture everything along the Red River. The campaign was a failure and the expedition never reached Texas. -
End of Civil War
Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant . With Robert's surrender there were no mor e Confederate armies, bringing an end to the Civi War. In the end Northern armies were victorious, and the rebellious states returned to the Union. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
An agreement prevented fighting between Union and Confederate forces on the Rio Grande. In spite of this agreement, Col. Theodore Barrett, commanding forces at Brazos Tx, dispatched an expedition, composed of 250 men.The force surrounded the Rebel outpost at White’s Ranch, but they had left.That night the Colonel let his force rest among weeds on the banks of the Rio Grande. In the morning Branson led his men to attack a Confederate camp. Federals attacked the camp and scattered the Rebels. -
Juneteenth
Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that slaves were now free. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans because there were few Union troops to enforce the new order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally able to overcome the resistance of Texas not wanting to end slavery. -
Reconstruction Ends
By 1876 many Americans wanted to put the disputes of the Civil War and Reconstruction in the past. Even in the North people wanted government to let Southern states take care of their own affairs. An election was held to decide, but the votes were so close that the Congress had to decide. They agreed to name the Republican winner if he pulled the federal troops out of the South. In 1877 President Rutherford was sworn into office and as he promised he took them out of the South and ended the era.
