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Civil War
Civil War -
Cooper Union Address
Lincoln gives a speech at the Cooper Institute in Manhattan, New York. This speech gained him political support in Seward's home territory. -
Constitution Union Party
The Constitution Union Party held a meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. At the meeting they selected John Bell for Presidential candidate and Edward Everett for Vice-Presidential candidate. -
National Democratic Convention
The Southern delegates held a National Democratic Convention in Richmond, Virginia. They decided to take a "wait and see" approach about if Lincoln would be elected or not. -
President Lincoln's Nomination
Lincoln was nominated for presidency by the Republican's at the Republican National Convention meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Hannibal Hamlin was nominated to be Lincoln's vice president. -
South Carolina Calls for a Convention
South Carolina calls for a convention to be held on December 17. They wanted to decide if they should secede from the Union or not. -
James Chesnut Resigns
Chesnut was the first Southerner to resign from the Senate. -
President Buchanan Message
President James Buchanan sends Congress a State of the Union message stating that secession is unconstitutional. -
Georgia Calls for a Convention
A call for a convention of the Southern States to form an independent nation is asked of Georgia after it was known that Lincoln would become president. -
South Carolina broke off of the United States
President Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery. The southern states wanted to still practice slavery so they wanted to break off and form their own government. South Carolina was the first state to break off to start the form of the Confederate States. -
First Secession Convention
When it was known that Lincoln was going to be the next President, people in North Carolina met up at the Baptist Church in Colombia to talk about seceding from the Union. They all made the resolution to break away from the Union and to start their own country. -
Confederate States of America
The Southern states broke off from the union and formed a new nation. Jefferson Davis was the leader of the Confederate states. This was the day the nation was formed. -
Jefferson Davis Becomes President
Davis becomes the first and last President of the Confederate States of America. He was previously known as a senator from Mississippi before being elected. -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Abraham Lincoln officially becomes the 16th President of the United States of America -
Battle of Fort Sumter
This battle officially began the Civil War. General Pierre Beauregard led Confederates to Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, to open fire wit 50 cannons. -
Battle of Philippi
This battle was the first land battle of the Civil War. It took place in Philippi, Virginia and ended with a Union Victory. This battle lasted less than 20 minutes along with having little to no facilitates. -
Battle of Rich Mountain
This battle was ta 3 day battle which taken place in Rich Mountain, Virginia. This battle ended with the Confederates surrendering and a Union Victory. During the fight, the Confederates were split in two. One half went to Beverly, but the other's who were stuck in Rich Mountain surrendered. -
First Bull Run
The first major battle of the Civil War. The Confederate won the battle led by Stonewall Jackson. -
George B. McClellan becomes Commander of the Department of the Potomac
President Lincoln replaces McDowell with McClellan as Commander of the Department of the Potomac. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
Union forces attacked Confederate forces at Springfield, Missouri. This battle lasted about 5 hours and led to Union General Lyon getting killed in battle. This led Major Samuel Sturgis ordering the Union to retreat. -
Battle of Ball's Bluff
This was the second major engagement of the war. This battle took place in Virginia with a Confederate victory. After this war, a Congressional committee was created to monitor the conduct of the war. -
Battle of Fort Henry
This battle was the Union's first major victory.They wanted control of the supply lines and rivers west of the Appalachians. General Grant launch an attack at Fort Henry in Tennessee. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
This was a 5 day battle where in the end the Confederate's could not break through the Union's line of soldiers. This battle was one of the first major victories for the Union. The Union Army captured Fort Donelson from the Confederates and claimed it as their own. -
Battle of Hampton Road
This battle began a new era in naval battle and was the most known navel battle of the war. . The Confederates tried to break the Union blockade of the Southern Ports. The battle was against the Merrimack's and the Monitor's. -
Battle of Shiloh
Confederate army had a surprise attack on General Grant's unprepared troops. 13,000 Union men wounded and/or killed. -
Confederate Army Abandons Corinth, Mississippi
P.T. Beauregard led the Confederate army out of Corinth, Mississippi. He did this because he knew the Union army was going to that city to control the railroad cross and did not want his men to be captured or killed. -
Battle of Seven Pines
A two day battle in Richmond, Virginia. The Confederates struck the Union troops. On the first day of battle Confederate General Johnston was severely wounded. -
Union Claims Memphis, Tennessee
The Union's claimed Memphis, Tennessee as their own city. Memphis was a major Southern industrial center and navel manufacturing yard. It was the Confederate's fifth-largest city. -
Seven Days Battles
This was a series of 6 major battles which took place in Richmond over 7 days of time. After this series of battles, Robert E. Lee became the General for the Confederate Army. The Confederates won these battles because of Lee. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
This was a three day battle in Prince William County, Virginia. The Confederates won the battle killing 14,000 Union men. -
Battle of Stones River
This was a 3 day battle ending with a Union victory. Both forces clash near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The first 2 days the Union was struggling to withstand the Confederates. By the third day, the Confederates could not withstand the Union's artillery fires. -
All Slaves Freed
The final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in Confederate territories was issued by President Lincoln. He emphasized the importance of enlisting black soldiers into the Union Army. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle was known as Confederate General Lee's greatest victory during the war. This battle was on for seven days in Virginia and the Union Army was double the size of the Confederate Army. Using General Lee's strategy by splitting his men in two groups is how they won the battle. -
Battle of Port Gibson
This battle took place in Port Gibson, Mississippi and started midnight of May 1st and grew on at dawn. Confederate General Edward Tracy was killed during the battle and the Southerners were forced from a field. The battle ended with a Union Victory. -
Battle of Raymond
This battle took place in Raymond, Mississippi and ended with a Union Victory. The outnumbered Confederates thought they had a chance of winning this battle but sooner or later the weight of the Union numbers forced the Confederates back. -
Battle of Jackson
This battle ended with a Union Victory and took place in Hinds County and Jackson County, Mississippi. The Union forces numbers eventually pushed back the Confederates. -
Siege of Port Hudson
This battle happened at Port Hudson, Louisiana where the Union Department of the Gulf surrounds the Confederate strong hold. The Union troops attacked the Confederates and the Unions had taken over New Orleans. This battle ended on July 9, 1863 with a Union Victory. -
General George Meade becomes Commander of the Potomac Army
General George Meade becomes the new Commander of the Potomac Army appointed by President Lincoln. He is the fifth man to command the army in less than a year. -
Battle of Chickamauga
This was a two day battle in Chickamauga between the Union and Confederates. The confederate's led by Braggs counterattacked the Union and made them give way. -
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address to attempt to unify the nation and end the war. The war did not actually end till 2 years after the speech. -
Battle of Missionary Ridge
This battle ended with a Union victory. General Grant led a group to rout the Confederates at Missionary Ridge. Grant broke the siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee. -
Grant's Overland Campaign
This was a a battle plan General Grant created when he took charge of the Union Army. In this plan, he wanted to take over Richmond, Virginia and capture the Confederate's forces. During this campaign, the Battle of the Wilderness and the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House happened. Other battles happened during this time until the campaign ended June 1864. -
Battle of the Wilderness
Robert E. Lee decides to confront the Union army in the Virginia woods known as the Wilderness. This was a 3 day battle which ended up with Longstreet getting shot by accident by his own men. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
This was a 5 day battle with no clear winner. This battle included some of the most bloodiest fighting of the Civil War. This was the second major battle of Grant's Overland Campaign. -
Battle of Cold Harbor Begins
The Union troops were attacked by the Confederates in Cold Harbor, Virginia at the strategic crossroads. The Confederates lead by Fitzhugh Lee. This was one of the biggest Union disasters of the war. -
Disaster for Union Army at Cold Harbor
General Ulysses S. Grant decided he made the mistake by ordering a frontal assault on the Confederates when he lost 7,000 soldiers in less than an hour's worth of fighting. -
Battle of Piedmont
The Union army takes their first real success in this battle. The battle was fought in Virginia. General David Hunter led the army to rout a Confederate force led by General Jones. -
Battle of Petersburg Begins
This battle lasted until April 2, 1865 with Grant's men and Lee's men. This battle ended the Civil War with Lee surrendering and the Union winning the war. -
Battle of Atlanta
This battle was part of the Atlanta Campaign. General Grant led a group to Richmond, Virginia to attack the Confederates. General Sherman led a group to Atlanta, Georgia which is an important supply center and rail head for the South. This battle was a Union victory. -
Battle of the Crater
The Union tried to break the Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia. They attempted to blow up a tunnel that was underneath the Confederate trenches. The Confederates won the battle and this battle was the end of General Burnside's military career. He resigned from the army on April 15, 1865 -
Battle of Mobile Bay
This battle lasted till August 23, 1864 and General Farragut led his Union troops to steal one of the last major Southern ports in Mobile, Alabama. The Union troops successfully did this and left 1,500 Confederates dead. -
Battle of Waynesboro
This battle was fought in Waynesboro, Virginia and this battle ended the fighting in the Shenandoah Valley. The Union troops rout the Confederate troops. This battle ended with a Union Victory. This battle was the final battle for Confederate General Early. -
Battle of Averasboro
This battle was a 2 day battle and took place in Averasboro, North Carolina. General Hardee retreated his troops, leaving the battle with a Union Victory. -
Battle of Bentonville
This battle was a 3 day battle and took place in Bentonville, North Carolina. The Union troops pushed back the Confederate troops and ended with a Union Victory. -
Battle of Fort Stedman
This battle was fought in Fort Stedman, Virginia with a Union Victory. General Lee tried to attack Fort Stedman as an attempt to break out of Petersburg, Virginia. -
Appomattox Campaign
This is the final campaign of the Civil War; it ended on April 9, 1865. It begins in Virginia when General Grant sends Union troops to the Confederate trenches around Petersburg. This campaign ended with General Lee surrendering, a clear Union victory, and the Confederates began to move to the west. -
Battle of Five Forks
This battle took place in Petersburg, Virginia. When the Confederate troops were not expecting, the Union troops attacked, taking down part of the line up. The next surprise attack took down the rest of the Confederates ending with a Union Victory. -
Battle of Sailor's Creek
This battle took place in Sailor's Creek, Virginia and ended with a Union Victory. The Union troops separated to surround the Confederates to avoid them from escaping. The Union's captured many men and 6 Confederate generals including, Joseph Kershaw, Custis Lee and Ewill. -
Battle of Appomattox Station
This battle was a Union Victory where, the Union troops and Confederate troops went to the South Side Railroad at Appomattox Station for food supplies. The Union troops made it there first and attacked when the Confederate troops got there afterwards. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln in the back of the head at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. Booth was a well known actor at the theater and thought it was a perfect time to kill Lincoln. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
This was a two day battle held at Brazos Santiago, Texas. Even though the war was already over at this point, this was the last battle of the Civil War. This battle ended with the Union's surrendering and a Confederate victory. -
President Lincoln's First Birthday Observation
This was the first formal observation of President Lincoln's birthday. President Andrew Johnson attended and it was held in Washington, D.C. -
Freedman's Bureau Bill Passed
Congress passed the Freedman's Bureau Bill. President Johnson vetoes the bill and authorized military trial for people accused of "depriving Negroes of Civil Rights". -
NYC Metropolitan Board of Health Created
The NYC Metropolitan Board of Health was created by the NYC Common Council. The NY Academy of Medicine suggested it be made. -
Texas Repeals Actions
The actions of the Secessionist Convention was repealed by Texas. -
United States Peace
It was declared that a state of peace was established with Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas. -
President Johnson's Veto of the Civil Rights Bill
The House overrode President Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Bill. Making the Civil Rights Bill validated. -
Nickel is Authorized
The 5 cent piece nickel was authorized by the U.S. Congress. It replaced the silver half-dime. -
14th Amendment Passed
The 14th Amendment was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. It guaranteed citizenship to anyone born in the United States or naturalized in the United States. -
Ku Klux Klan Was Investigated
The Ku Klux Klan was investigated and inspected by the U.S. Secret Service. -
Fire Demolishes Civil War Ships
Philadelphia ship-yard fire destroyed many ships used during the Civil War. -
Right to Vote
Washington D.C. passes a bill giving blacks the right to vote. Congress passes President Johnson's veto against it. -
Tenure of Office Act Passed
The Tenure of Office Act was passed. The act denied the right of the President to remove officials when they have been appointed with consent of Congress. -
Virginia Rejects Votes
Thousands of votes were casted by blacks who were granted universal suffrage under the Reconstruction Act. Virginia rejected these votes. -
2nd Reconstruction Act Passed
President Johnson's veto against the 2nd Reconstruction Act was ignored and Congress passed the act. During this act the Southern states joined back with the Union states forming one nation. -
Treaty Signed With Russia
William P. Seward signed a treaty with Russia and Democrats called it "Seward's Folly". The treaty bought Alaska for 2 cents an acre. -
Alaska Was Purchased
The Senate ratifies the treaty of purchasing Alaska as part of the United States. -
Confederates Rejoined the Union
A bill was passed by Congress admitting the Confederate States into the Union. Virginia, Texas and Mississippi were refused admission into the Union since they refused to ratify the 14th amendment. -
President Johnson Wants a New Secretary Of War
President Johnson demanded Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War, to be resigned. Johnson did not like how Stanton opposed his idea of the Reconstruction policies in the South. -
Ulysses S. Grant Becomes Secretary of War
Ulysses S. Grant takes over Edwin Stanton's position and becomes the new Secretary of War. -
Russia Turns Alaska To United States
Alaska is turned over to the United States by Russia on this day.
