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Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin - March, 1852
In March of 1852, the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was published, and it forever changed the viewpoint of the public by describing what slavery was truly like. The novel sold more than 300,000 copies in the first year of being published and acted as one of the first triggers of the Civil War. -
John Brown’s Harpers Ferry Raid - October, 1859
In October of 1859, in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (today West Virginia), John Brown, an abolitionist, and twenty-one other men participated in the Harpers Ferry Raid. Sick and repulsed of slavery still being legal in southern states, John Brown decided to take a more violent approach and led an attack against a federal armory before being captured. Although the raid was unsuccessful, Brown helped bring the abolitionist's cause to a new light. -
Lincoln Elected - November, 1860
In November of 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected to become the 16th president of the United States of America. This administered great importance as Lincoln’s election served as the central initiator of the Civil War. By taking advantage of the schism in the Democratic Party, gaining the plurality vote, he beat the other candidates by a landslide. -
South Carolina Secedes - December, 1860
In December of 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States of America. South Carolina decided to withdraw itself from the Union, as Carolinians wanted to preserve the state’s economy and slavery. South Carolina’s secession initiated many other states to soon follow, which set the stage for the Civil War. -
Fort Sumter - April, 1861
In April of 1861, Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, was attacked by General P.G.T Beauregard’s Confederate troops, initiating a 34-hour artillery fire and engaging in the start of the Civil War. The Union was at a massive disadvantage, forcing Major Anderson to call for surrender. -
First Battle of Bull Run - July, 1861
In July of 1861, near Manassas Junction, Virginia, the first major battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Bull Run, took place. Both the South and North sides assumed that the war would be over quickly with a single victory, and the Unionists were very surprised with the Confederates who took the win. -
Battle of the Ironclads - March, 1862
In March of 1862, in Hampton Roads, Virginia, the Battle of the Ironclads, otherwise known as the Battle of Hampton Roads, was the first battle between the Monitor and Merrimack naval ships. The Merrimack was commanded by Confederate Admiral Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan, and the Monitor was controlled by Union Commanding Officer Captain John Worden. The battle was inconclusive, as, after hours of firing, neither ships sank, so they left; this was a huge turning point for naval warfare history. -
Battle of Shiloh - April, 1862
In April of 1862, the Confederate Army, led by General Albert Sidney Johnston, surprise attacked General Ulysses S. Grant’s Union Army at Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, Tennessee, before Union reinforcements could arrive. Johnston died between crossfire in the two-day battle, and despite the Confederate’s attempt at surprise, the Union claimed victory. -
Battle of Antietam - September, 1862
In September of 1862, in Sharpsburg, Maryland, the deadliest one-day battle of American military history, the Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, took place where the Union Army overpowered Confederate forces. As a result, the Union won over Northern Virginia, ended the Confederate invasion of Maryland, and issued in Abraham Lincoln to announce the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg - December, 1862
In December of 1862, in Fredericksburg, Northern Virginia, the Union Army, led by General Ambrose Burnside, claimed a massive defeat in the Battle of Fredericksburg, having over double the number of casualties compared to the Confederates, even though they had around 35,000 more soldiers. When the Union barraged the town, they destroyed much of it, and the battle and their plan of a surprise attack ultimately led them to a low-point of the war. -
Battle of Chancellorsville - April to May, 1863
The Battle of Chancellorsville lasted from late April to early May of 1863 and took place near Chancellorsville, Virginia. The Union army devised an attack on the Confederates who stood their ground, even though they had less than half the amount of soldiers than the Union, and lost one of their Confederate generals, Stonewall Jackson (who was accidentally shot by one of his own). Despite the Confederates’ victory, their army was significantly weaker because of the number of men they lost. -
Siege of Vicksburg - Summer of 1863
In the summer of 1863, the Siege of Vicksburg took place in Mississippi and was a great victory for the Union, as the win led them to have control over the South's major port, cutting the Confederacy off from supplies. They bombarded the city with bombs until General Pemberton of the Confederate Army called for surrender. -
Battle of Gettysburg - July, 1863
In July of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle and turning point of the Civil War, commenced near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and was led by Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee and Union Army General George Meade. The Confederate Army's invasion had failed and caused them to retreat, and there was an estimated total of 51,112 casualties. -
Sherman’s March to the Sea - November, 1864
Sherman’s March to the Sea started in November of 1864, up until that December. Sherman’s army marched the nearly 300-mile trek from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, bringing the war home to the civilians in the hopes of them losing their will to fight. They practically destroyed everything in their path, creating an estimated number of 100 million dollars worth of damage to the South’s economy (in 1864 dollars)! -
Surrender at Appomattox - April, 1865
In April of 1865, at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant because he knew that he would not win the fight. Terms were respectfully negotiated amongst the two, and the surrender became final, initiating the end of the Civil War. -
Lincoln Assassination - April, 1865
In April of 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, assassinated the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, at the Ford Theatre in Washington D.C. Booth committed this treason as his views about slavery and the winning side of the war differed from the President. He thought that Lincoln’s assassination would motivate the South to continue to fight in the war. -
John Wilkes Booth Killed - April, 1865
In April of 1865, just twelve days after John Wilkes Booth assassinated the President, Abraham Lincoln, he was shot while trying to escape Union soldiers and the treason he committed. After shooting President Lincoln, he was able to meet with fellow accomplice David Herold, where they fled all the way to Port Royal, Virginia, where he was shot by soldier Boston Corbett. His last request was to see his hands, which the soldiers complied, and the last words he ever uttered were “useless”. -
13th Amendment Ratified - December, 1865
In December of 1865, the 13th amendment of the United States of America was ratified. It called for the abolishment of slavery and involuntary servitude. This amendment was the end result of the Civil War and what the Union had been fighting for. After much discussion, this amendment was confirmed, and slavery was finally and completely abolished in the U.S. -
14th Amendment Ratified - July, 1868
In July of 1865, the 14th amendment of the United States of America was ratified, which addressed citizenship in the nation. This amendment granted citizenship to all African Americans who were previously slaves, indicating that any person born in the United States of America is a citizen, and it ensures each citizen equal protection from the law. -
15th Amendment Ratified - February, 1870
In February of 1870, the 15th amendment of the United States of America was ratified, which granted African American men the right to vote. The purpose/meaning of this amendment is that no matter your race, skin color, or any previous state of servitude, any man that was a citizen of the United States was given the privilege, which could not be dismissed or disregarded, to vote.