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The Compromise
The Compromise of 1850 was introduced in January and passed in September. The Compromise consisted of 5 laws that would let new territories choose to become a free or slave state. The people that were behind this was Henry Clay, a whig Senator, and Stephan Douglas, a democratic Senator. This event contributed to the beginning of the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
A woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a book called Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly. Stowe expressed her passion for antislavery by using culture, religion, and popular entertainment. This novel was a huge success with over 300,000 copies sold in America, 1.5 million in Great Britain, and it had been translated into 15 languages in Europe. -
Lincoln elected for president
In November of 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States. He became the first republican president. In 1858, Lincoln was a candidate for a seat as a U.S. Senate, but, he lost the race. However, his campaign made him popular across the nation, which helped him during the race to presidency. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter
In the early morning at Charleston, South Carolina, General Pierre Gustave T. Beaugard had fired a gun shot at Fort Sumter. The next day, Major Robert Anderson, the commanding officer at Charleston, surrendered. This battle began the long and devastating Civil War between the North and South of the United States of America. -
Union Blockade
The Union tried to make a blockade during the Civil War. The Union army decided to do this to stop goods, troops, and weapons from entering the south. They used about 500 ships to guard the East Coast. They guarded all the way from Virginia to Texas. -
First Battle of Bull Run
In Manassas, Virginia, a new Union army, lead by Irvin McDowell, marched to the Confederate army, lead by P. G. T. Beauregard. They began in Washington D.C. and went south to Bull Run Creek. Bull Run creek is a 33 mile tributary that is west of Centreville, Virginia. The Confederates were able to defend themselves from this attack. -
Confederacy Forms
Representatives from 7 southern states came together in Montgomery, Alabama to make the Confederate States of the U.S. The representatives made their own constitution based off of the United States Constitution, but made their own changes. The purpose of this was to separate themselves from the other states who believed in antislavery or neutrality. -
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
For the Union army, the Battle of Fort Henry was an important victory during the Civil War. General Ulysses S. Grant and Commodore Andrew Foote attacked Fort Henry in Tennessee to gain control of the west of the Appalachians. The Confederate army evacuated to Fort Donelson, which is in Tennessee as well. Just a week after the Union won at Ft. Henry, they battled again at Ft. Donelson. The Battle of Fort Donelson was also a significant win for the Union. -
Battle of the Ironclads
Ironclads were warships used during the American Civil War. The U. S. S. Monitor and C. S. S. Virginia fought a naval battle for Hampton Roads, Virginia. The battle lasted very long because the ships were made of armor plates. This made the ironclads almost bulletproof from shots. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh is also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, It began in southwestern Tennessee when the Confederate Army attacked the Union army. In the beginning, the Confederates were leading in victory, however, that did not last till the end. As a result, the Union army won the battle. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, which is also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, was a battle between the Confederate and Union army near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Confederate army was under General Robert E. Lee and the Union army was under General George McClellan. This battle happened because General Robert E. Lee tried to invade the north. The Battle of Antietam is considered one of the deadliest single-day wars in military history in America. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg took place in Virginia. The Union Army of Potomac was lead by Major General Ambrose E. Burnside and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was lead by Robert E. Lee. There were about 200,000 troops involved, which was the largest number of troops in any of the other Civil War battles. The Union wanted to quickly cross the Rappahannock River to get to Richmond, however Confederates fired shots, which started the battle. -
Emancipation Proclomation
Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation. It stated "that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free." However, this declaration only applied to slaves in the Confederacy. Slaves in the border states that remained with the Union were still kept enslaved after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. -
The Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville took place in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee lead the Confederate army and General Joseph Hooker lead the Union army. The Confederates had to battle the Union which was twice the size of their army. This battle became one of Robert E. Lee’s most famous victory. -
The Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg was fought at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Union army was lead by General Ulysses S. Grant and the Confederate army was lead by John C. Pemberton. Vicksburg is known as the battle that divided the confederacy and built the reputation General Grant has today. The Union won the Battle of Vicksburg. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the beginning of July 1863. After the Union won in Chancellorsville, Robert E. Lee went to Gettysburg, PA. The two armies collided in Gettysburg and the battle had started. This battle continued for 3 days. -
The Battle of Chattanooga
The Battle of Chattanooga took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Union army was lead by Ulysses S. Grant. The Confederate army was lead by General Braxton Bragg. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Bragg won the victory against General William Rosecrans. He decided to follow Rosecrans to Chattanooga to try and win again. However, the Union army won the Battle of Chattanooga. -
Atlanta to Savannah
There was a march from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia. This took a little more than a month. Union leader General William T. Sherman lead about 60,000 soldiers on this march. This march from Atlanta to Savannah was about 285 miles. The reason for this march was to force the civilians in Georgia to stop supporting the Confederates. -
Appomattox Court House
In Appomattox, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant, the Union army leader. Robert E. Lee’s goal was to retreat from Virginia and flee to North Carolina with the rest of his remaining troops. The Battle of Appomattox Court House only lasted a few hours. However, this battle was significant to the ending of the long Civil War. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated just five days after General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War. He was killed by getting shot in the head by a man named John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a famous actor and sided with the Confederates. He sneaked into Lincoln’s box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. and shot a gun at him.
