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Civil War Timeline- English

  • Period: to

    Civil War Timespan

  • The Pony Express Begins

    The Pony Express Begins
    The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860 to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California.
  • National Democratic Nomination Convention

    National Democratic Nomination Convention
    On April 23, 1860, Democrats meet in Charleston North Carolina to identify a nominee for the presidential election.
  • Constitutional Union Convention

    Constitutional Union Convention
    The Constitutional Union Party held their first convention to identify a nominee for the presidential election on May 9, 1860.
  • Republican National Convention

    Republican National Convention
    On May 16, 1860, the Republican party held its second national convention for the presidential election in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Democrats Second Convention

    Democrats Second Convention
    From June 18 to June 23, the democrats held a second convention for the 1860 presidential election in Baltimore, Maryland.
  • Henry Repeating Rifle

    Henry Repeating Rifle
    Benjamin Henry perfects the Henry rifle, used in considerable numbers by certain Union army units in the American Civil War.
  • Abraham Lincoln Elected as President

    Abraham Lincoln Elected as President
    Abraham Lincoln is elected as the sixteen president of the United States, the first Republican president in the nation who represents a party opposing the spread of slavery in the territories.
  • First Secession Convention

    First Secession Convention
    The first Secession Convention meets in Colombia, South Carolina.
  • The Crittenden Compromise Fails

    The Crittenden Compromise Fails
    The Crittenden Compromise was an unsuccessful proposal to permanently enshrine slavery in the United States Constitution, and thereby make it unconstitutional for future congresses to end slavery.
  • South Carolina Secedes From The Union

    South Carolina Secedes From The Union
    In 1860, the state of South Carolina officially withdraws from the United States of America.
  • Prevent Confederate Threat

    Prevent Confederate Threat
    To prevent the Confederate threat in northern Virginia, earthworks and forts are engineered to surround the City of Washington and to add to protection
  • Seceded Southern States Create Government

    Seceded Southern States Create Government
    The southern states that seceded create a government at Montgomery, Alabama, and the Confederate States of America are formed.
  • Civil War has Begun

    Civil War has Begun
    Southern forces fire upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The Civil War has formally begun.
  • Stop the Rebellion

    Stop the Rebellion
    President Lincoln issues a public declaration that an insurrection exists and calls for 75,000 militia to stop the rebellion.
  • Clash of Union and Confederate Forces

    Clash of Union and Confederate Forces
    A skirmish near Philippi in western Virginia, is the first clash of Union and Confederate forces in the east.
  • Battle of Civil War; Big Bethel

    Battle of Civil War; Big Bethel
    Battle of Big Bethel, the first land battle of the war in Virginia.
  • Battle of Bull Run

    Battle of Bull Run
    The Battle of Bull Run is fought near Manassas, Virginia.
  • Battle of Wilson's Creek

    Battle of Wilson's Creek
    The Confederate victory at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri emphasizes the strong southern presence.
  • Fort Hatteras falls to Union Naval

    Fort Hatteras falls to Union Naval
    Fort Hatteras at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, falls to Union naval forces which begins the Union efforts to close southern ports.
  • Battle of Ball's Bluff

    Battle of Ball's Bluff
    Battle of Ball's Bluff, Virginia turned into a retreat with many soldiers drowning while trying to recross the icy waters of the Potomac River.
  • Battle of Mill Springs

    Battle of Mill Springs
    The Union victory weakened the Confederate hold on the state at the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky.
  • Surrender of Fort Henry

    Surrender of Fort Henry
    The loss of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Union control of the river at the Surrender of Fort Henry, Tennessee.
  • Battle of Roanoke Island

    Battle of Roanoke Island
    A Confederate defeat at the Battle of Roanoke Island resulted in Union occupation of eastern North Carolina
  • Surrender of Fort Donelson

    Surrender of Fort Donelson
    The Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee left the river in Union hands. Union General Ulysses S. Grant gained his nickname "Unconditional Surrender" here.
  • Jefferson Davis Inaugurated as President

    Jefferson Davis Inaugurated as President
    Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America.
  • Battle of Shiloh

    Battle of Shiloh
    The Battle of Shiloh was the first major battle in Tennessee.
  • Battle of Seven Pines

    Battle of Seven Pines
    The Battle of Seven Pines began near Richmond, Virginia.
  • Seven Days' Battles

    Seven Days' Battles
    The Seven Days' Battles before Richmond begun.
  • Battle of Second Bull Run

    The Battle of Second Bull Run was fought on the same ground as the year before and the Union army was defeated
  • Battle of Second Bull Run

    Battle of Second Bull Run
    The Battle of Second Bull Run was fought on the same ground as the year before and the Union army was defeated
  • Battle of Antietam

    The Battle of Antietam, Maryland was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War.
  • Battle of Antietam

    Battle of Antietam
    The Battle of Antietam, Maryland was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    Emancipation Proclamation
    The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect and was applauded by many abolitionists.
  • Siege of Chattanooga

    Siege of Chattanooga
    The Siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee begun and there were immediate plans to relieve the besieged Union army.
  • Conscription in North

    Conscription in North
    Conscription, or the drafting of soldiers into military service, begins in the North as it had already begun in the South the year before.
  • Battle of Chancellorsville

    Battle of Chancellorsville
    The Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia begins.
  • Siege of Vicksburg

    Siege of Vicksburg
    Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi begins.
  • Gettysburg Campaign

    Gettysburg Campaign
    The Gettysburg Campaign continues and Southern cavalry fight with Union militia near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
  • Battle of Gettysburg

    Battle of Gettysburg
    The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania begins and is the bloodiest battle of the Civil War regarding Robert E. Lee's hopes for a successful invasion of the North.
  • Union Naval and Land Forces

    Union Naval and Land Forces
    Union naval and land forces attack Confederate defenses near Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Battle of Chattanooga

    Battle of Chattanooga
    The Battle for Chattanooga begun and Union forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks.
  • Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

    Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
    On December 8, 1863, Lincoln issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.
  • Successful Submarine Attack

    Successful Submarine Attack
    The first Successful Submarine Attack of the Civil War took place on this day.
  • Red River Campaign

    Red River Campaign
    A combined force of army and navy commands begin a campaign on the Red River in Louisiana.
  • Atlanta Campaign

    Atlanta Campaign
    Beginning of the Atlanta Campaign where General William T. Sherman marched south against the Confederate Army of Tennessee.
  • Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

    Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
    Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia begins and Lee successfully stalls Grant's drive toward Richmond.
  • Battle of Cold Harbor

    Battle of Cold Harbor
    The relentless and bloody Union attacks fail to dislodge Lee's army at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia.
  • Abraham Lincoln Nomination

    Abraham Lincoln Nomination
    Abraham Lincoln is nominated by his party for a second term as president.
  • Battle of Jonesborough

    Battle of Jonesborough
    The final southern counterattack against Union troops outside the city of Atlanta fails at the Battle of Jonesborough, Georgia.
  • Fall of Atlanta, Georgia

    Fall of Atlanta, Georgia
    Confederate troops under General Hood evacuate the city of Atlanta and Sherman's army uses the city's defenses the following day.
  • March to the Sea

    March to the Sea
    General Sherman's Army of Georgia begins the "March to the Sea"
  • Battle of Nashville

    Battle of Nashville
    The Confederate Army under John Bell Hood is defeated and the threat to Tennessee ends.
  • Capture of Fort Fisher

    Capture of Fort Fisher
    The assault and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina occurred on January 15, 1865.
  • Battle of Five Forks

    Battle of Five Forks
    The Confederate defeat initiates General Lee's decision to abandon the Petersburg-Richmond siege lines.
  • Fall of Petersburg and Richmond

    Fall of Petersburg and Richmond
    General Lee abandons both Petersburg and Richmond and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces.
  • End of the Civil War

    End of the Civil War
    The Civil War officially ends.
  • Signed Surrender Document

    Signed Surrender Document
    General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and southern troops
  • Capture of Jefferson Davis

    Capture of Jefferson Davis
    Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia.
  • Final Battle at Palmito Ranch

    Final Battle at Palmito Ranch
    The final battle of the Civil War occurs at Palmito Ranch, Texas. The battle results in a Confederate victory.
  • Review of Potomac Army

    Review of Potomac Army
    The Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac in Washington, DC.
  • Review of Sherman's Army

    Review of Sherman's Army
    The Grand Review of General Sherman's Army in Washington, DC.
  • Surrender of the Army

    Surrender of the Army
    General Simon Bolivar Buckner enters into terms for surrender of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi.
  • National Soldiers' Homes

    National Soldiers' Homes
    The United States Congress authorizes national soldiers' homes.
  • Rejected Presidential Veto

    Rejected Presidential Veto
    The United States Congress rejects presidential veto giving all equal rights.
  • Andrew Johnson ends Civil War

    Andrew Johnson ends Civil War
    President Andrew Johnson ends Civil War in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
  • Civil Rights Bill

    Civil Rights Bill
    The Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto.
  • ASPCA

    ASPCA
    The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is created.
  • American Equal Rights

    American Equal Rights
    On May 1, 1866, the American Equal Rights Association forms.
  • Nickel Production

    Nickel Production
    The US Congress authorizes the nickel 5 cent piece on May 16, 1866.
  • Metric System

    Metric System
    The Metric system becomes a legal measurement system in the United States.
  • New Orleans's Democratic Government

    New Orleans's Democratic Government
    The New Orleans's Democratic government orders police to raid a Republican Party meeting which killed 40 people and injured 150.
  • Andrew Johnson Declares Civil War Over

    Andrew Johnson Declares Civil War Over
    President Andrew Johnson formally declares US Civil War over.
  • Nebraska Becomes A State

    Nebraska Becomes A State
    On March 1, 1867, President Andrew Johnson signed the proclamation declaring Nebraska as a state.
  • Department of Education

    Department of Education
    The United States Congress creates the Department of Education
  • Tenure of Office Act Enacted

    Tenure of Office Act Enacted
    The Tenure of Office Act was a United States federal law that restricted the power of the president to remove certain office-holders without the approval of the Senate.
  • Congress Passes Reconstruction Acts

    Congress Passes Reconstruction Acts
    The Reconstruction Acts outlined the conditions under which the Southern states would be readmitted to the Union.
  • Lincoln Memorial

    Lincoln Memorial
    The United States Congress approves the building of Lincoln Memorial.
  • Territory of Alaska Purchased

    Territory of Alaska Purchased
    On March 30, 1867, the United States made an agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for a price of $7.2 million.
  • Reconstructuion of South

    Reconstructuion of South
    The Reconstruction of Sound ends on March 31, 1867.
  • Bank of California Opens

    Bank of California Opens
    On June 27, 1867, the doors of the California Stockton Bank opens.
  • US Takes Possession of Midway Atoll

    US Takes Possession of Midway Atoll
    The United States took formal possession of Midway Atoll in August of 1867 by Captain William Reynolds of the USS Lackawanna.
  • Toronto, Ontario

    Toronto, Ontario
    Toronto becomes capital of Ontario on September 28, 1867.