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Abraham Lincoln Elected President
On November 6th, 1860. Abraham Lincoln was elected as president of the United States in a decisive victory, leading to one of the most important presidential elections in American History. -
Southern Secession
After years of disagreements over the issue of Slavery in America, seven southern states, starting with South Carolina, who were in favor of slavery, seceded from the United States and formed the Confederacy. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Shortly after the southern secession, the two halves of America entered into a full blown Civil War after the Confederates attacked US army troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was a crucial Union victory during the early stages of the war, showing both sides that neither side was ready to back down from this full blown conflict. It remains the single bloodiest day in American history. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln which stated that all enslaved people in rebel (Confederate) states are now free in the eyes of the United States government. This proclamation gave new meaning to the war for many groups of people. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The battle of Vicksburg was a crucial Union siege and victory by General Ulysses S. Grant in Vicksburg, Alabama. This gave the Union control of the strategically important Mississippi River and became a turning point in the war in favor of the Union. -
Battle of Gettysburg/The Gettysburg Address
One of the most crucial Union victories in the war was the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This battle showed the Confederacy facing a tough blow as it lost a significant number of troops as they had been rather successfully advancing north. This started the push for the Union to crush the Confederacy for the remainder of the War. Abraham Lincoln also delivered the Gettysburg address which honored the soldiers who had already lost their lives in the war and give meaning to their sacrifice. -
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was another crucial Union victory in the South in which General William Tecumseh Sherman and his troops took the city of Atlanta, which was one of the most important Confederate cities in the country. -
Lincoln Reelection
Another crucial election during the Civil War saw Abraham Lincoln at risk of being thrown out of office due to the stagnancy of the war. After the crucial Union victory at Atlanta, Lincoln won the election by a landslide. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
After General Sherman had taken Atlanta, he and his troops marched to the Atlantic Ocean, living off of the land and destroying Confederate supply lines as they marched, severing the Confederacy into two halves. -
Appomattox Courthouse/Confederate Surrender
The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse was the final battle of the Civil War which took place in Appomattox, Virginia. This was another Union victory and ended with Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendering his army to Union general Ulysses S. Grant. This started new era of peace and healing between the two sides, becoming one again. -
Lincoln Assassinated
In April, less than a month after the war had ended. President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in cold blood while attending a play with his wife by a disgruntled, Confederate sympathizer actor named John Wilkes Booth. This was a cold day in American History coming directly off of the heels of the Civil War, during a time which should have been about peace and reconciliation. -
Thirteenth Amendment and Reconstruction
After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War, the United States ratified the thirteenth amendment of the constitution, officially freeing all slaves. This would begin a tumultuous period in American history called reconstruction, as they tried to heal and rebuild the country after the war had devastated so much of it.
