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March 4, 1861 Lincoln is president
He gained national stature during his campaign against Stephen Douglas for a U.S. Senate seat in 1858. -
April 12, 1861 Fort Sumter
Confederate opened fire on the fort which was unable to reply effectively. Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter. The bombing of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the Civil War. -
April 14, 1861 Lincoln calls out the Militia
Lincoln called 75,000 militiamen to put down rebellion against the authority of the federal government. John Lecher refused to send his troops to bring down the Southern states. -
June 1861 West Virginia is born
Residents of Virginia did not wish to secede, or to withdraw along with the rest of the state. Virginia was admitted into the Union as the state. -
June 1861 four slave states stay in the Union
Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri did not join the Confederacy even though they accepted slavery. A combination of political movement and the Union military pressure kept these states from seceding. -
1861 choosing sides
Americans were confused by the question of which states would join the secession movement and which would remain loyal to the Union. Virginia was already a confederate state. Missouri had declared that they would remain as a neutral state. -
Advantages of the North
An advantage for the north was manufacturing capability. The North had the ability to produce to weapons. Also the North wanted to have a larger population and superior military leadership. -
Advantages of the South
An advantage for the south was that they still dependent on slavery and this was obstructed their ability to industrialize. South also wanted to have a larger population and also to have a military leadership. -
King Cotton
King cotton supported secession from the United States by arguing cotton exports would make an independent Confederacy. Some king cotton bales were burned in the South to create cotton storages. -
Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda plan was a Strategy to blockade South by sea, and also gain control of the Mississippi River.
