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Period: to
January 1, 1860 Through December 31, 1867
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Davis Speaks Out for Secession
For the first time, Jefferson Davis speaks of his opinion to support secession from the United States -
Bell Receives Nomination
The Constitution Union Party meets in Baltimore and select John Bell and Edward Everett as nominees for President and Vice President. -
Lincoln Receives Nomination
The Republican Convention meets in Chicago, Illinois and Abraham Lincoln wins on on the third ballot from a pool of 12 candidates. He receives nomination for President and Hannibal Hamlin receives nomination for Vice President. -
Douglas Receives Nomination
The National Democratic Convention convenes in Baltimore and elect Stephen A. Douglas as nominee for President. -
Breckinridge Receives Nomination
A Convention is held in Richmond Virginia among southern democrats. They select Breckinridge as their nominee for the President -
Rumors of Secession from South Carolina
Governor William Henry Gist spreads the word to other southern states that South Carolina is considering secession from the United States as a viable option. -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected the sixteenth President of the United States with 39.7% of the vote, defeating Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell. Lincoln is the first republican President to be elected who opposes the spread of slavery. -
South Calls for Independent Nation
Georgia calls for a southern state convention to discuss the idea of forming an independent nation. -
First Secession Convention
The first Secession Convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina on the topic of seceding from the Union. A committee is appointed to create the necessary documents. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina's convention approves the Ordinance of Secession, officially seceding South Carolina from the Union. It is the first state to secede from the Union. -
Confederate States of America is Formed
The Convention of Seceded States creates a constitution to formally establish the Confederate States of America. -
Davis is Elected President of Confederacy
Confederate Convention selects Jefferson Davis as President after lots of consideration. Alexander Stephens is elected Vice President; he is both a Union supporter and a friend of Union President Abraham Lincoln. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate artillery batteries along the Charleston Harbor open fire on Fort Sumter, which was under the command of Union Major Robert Anderson. Anderson surrenders on the morning of April 13th. -
Lincoln Assembles a Militia
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation and calls for 75,000 militiamen, and summons a special session of Congress for July 4. Robert E. Lee is offered command of the Union Army but declines. -
Lincoln Blockades Southern Ports
President Lincoln issues a proclamation of blockade against southern ports. The blockade limits the ability of the South to stay well supplied against the North. -
Robert E. Lee Resigns From United States Army
Robert E. Lee resigns from the United States Army, stating "I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children." Lee then goes to Richmond, Virginia, and accepts an offer to command the military and naval forces of Virginia. -
Battle of Philippi
First land engagement between the Confederate and Union forces in the Civil War. -
First Battle of Bull Run
First major battle of the Civil War, taking place about 25 miles southwest of the Union capitol Washington D.C.. Union General Irvin McDowell fought against Confederate Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and Joe Johnston. The battle resulted in Confederate victory. -
George B. McClellan Takes Command of the Army of the Potomac
President Lincoln appoints George B. McClellan as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing McDowell. -
George B. McClellan Takes Command of All Armies of the United States
President Lincoln appoints McClellan as general-in-chief of all Union forces after the resignation of Winfield Scott. -
Battle of Hampton Roads
Battle of the ironclads, The Monitor and The Merrimac. This battle implemented the first use of a turreted gun. -
Battle of Shiloh
Confederates send scouts to spy on Grant's troops at Shiloh church, Tennessee. Confederates launch a surprise attack on the unprepared Union troops. Grant is unwavered, resulted in Union victory. -
Capture of New Orleans
Following the Battle of Shiloh, 17 Union ships under the command of David G. Farragut advance up the Mississippi River and take the South's strongest seaport. -
Lee Takes Command
Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaces the wounded Army of Northern Virginia commander Joseph E. Johnston with Robert E. Lee. -
Battle of Gaines Mill
John Bell Hood and George Pickett break through Fitz John Porter's lines, forcing Union troops south of the Chickahominy River and severing McClellan's line to Eltham's Landing. -
Second Battle of Bull Run
55,000 Confederates under the command of General Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet defeat 75,000 Union soldiers led by John Pope. Union Army retreats to Washington D.C.. -
Battle of Antietam
General Robert E. Lee invades the north and heads for Harper's Ferry. He is stopped at Antietam, Maryland by General McClellan and a vastly larger Union Army. 26,000 men are killed or wounded by nightfall until Lee retreats to Virginia. -
Ambrose E. Burnside Takes Command of the Army of the Potomac
President Lincoln replaces George McClellan with Ambrose E. Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac after being frustrated with McClellan's sluggishness in following up on the Union victory at Antietam. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Army of the Potomac under the command of general Ambrose E. Burnside suffer an extremely costly defeat at Fredericksburg, Virginia. 12,653 men are lost after fourteen assaults on rebels in Marye's Heights. -
Battle of Stone's River
Braxton Bragg's troops force William Rosecrans to retreat, but Rosecrans returns with his men to defeat Bragg on January 2, 1863. -
Final Emancipation Proclamation Issued
Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation. All slaves in the Confederate States are freed, encouraging freed slaves to join the Union Army. War shifts towards a struggle for the abolition of slavery. -
Joseph Hooker Takes Command of the Army of the Potomac
Lincoln once again replaces general Ambrose E. Burnside with Joseph Hooker as the leader of the Army of the Potomac. -
Ulysses S. Grant Takes Command of the Army of the West
General Ulysses S. Grant is placed as the commander of the Army of the West. He is ordered by President Lincoln to capture Vicksburg. -
Union Drafts Citizens
U.S. Congress enacts a draft for male citizens ages 20 to 45 years old. However, those who pay $300 or provide a substitute are exempt from the draft. This outrages the lower-class citizens. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
General Hooker leads Union Army against General Lee. Despite being outnumbered by more than 2 to 1, the Confederacy is victorious due to Lee's brilliant battle tactics. However, General Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded from friendly-fire. -
Stonewall Jackson Dies
After being wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson dies one week later. His last words are, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees". -
Lee Launches Pennsylvania Campaign
General Lee and 75,000 Confederates invade the North for the second time. They set out for Pennsylvania in what will eventually be the Battle of Gettysburg. -
George G. Meade Takes Command of the Army of the Potomac
Lincoln appoints General George G. Meade to command the Army of the Potomac, replacing Joseph Hooker. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The tide of the Civil War is turned at the South's expense as the Confederacy face a crushing defeat in the bloodiest battle in American history. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The final Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg, surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant after a six week siege. Now that the Union has control of the Mississippi River, the Confederacy is effectively split in two. -
Colonel Rose Leads Escape
109 Union officers are led by Colonel Thomas Rose and escape from Libby Prison on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. 59 return to Union lines. -
Ulysses S. Grant Takes Command of All Armies of the United States
Lincoln appoints Grant to command all armies of the United States. General William Tecumseh Sherman fills Grant's position as commander of the Army of the West. -
Grant Advances Toward Richmond
A massive coordinated campaign involving all of the Union armies is led by General Grant with 120,000 men. Lee is held up in Northern Virginia with 64,000 men. In the west, Sherman advances towards Atlanta with 100,00 men to face Johnston's 60,000 men of the Army of Tennessee. This immense campaign will lead to the major battles at the Wilderness, Spotsylnvania, and Cold Harbor. -
Battle of the Wilderness
General Ulysses S. Grant is badly beaten by Robert E. Lee but instead of retreating, Grant advances to Spotsylvania Court House. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
A horrible mistake by General Grant results in 7,000 Union soldiers to perish in approximately 20 minutes during an attack on fortified Confederates at Cold Harbor, Virginia. -
Siege of Petersburg
After missing an opportunity to capture Petersburg and cut off Confederate rail systems, Grant surrounds Lee. This initiates a nine month siege of Petersburg. -
George McClellan Receives Democratic Nomination
Democrats nominate George McClellan to run for president against Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln. -
Abraham Lincoln is Re-elected President
Lincoln defeats Democrat George McClellan with 212 electoral college votes and 55 percent of the popular vote. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
After defeating Confederate forces in Atlanta and destroying warehouses and railroad facilities, Sherman begins a march to the sea with 62,000 men. President Lincoln approves of the idea. -
Battle of Nashville
Confederate General Hood with 23,000 men is crushed at Nashville by 55,000 Union troops led by Sherman, as well as African troops under the command of General Thomas. -
Thirteenth Amendment Passed
U.S. Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery. It is submitted to the states for ratification. -
Lincoln Attends a Peace Conference
A peace conference takes place in Hampton Roads, Virginia between Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens. However, the meeting is a failure and the war continues. -
Lee's Final Attack
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia has its final attack on Grant's forces in Petersburg. The attack lasts for only four hours. -
Grant Breaks Through Lee's Lines
Grant and his troops advance and break through Lee's troops in Petersburg. Confederate General Ambrose P. Hill is killed. Lee evacuates Petersburg and Richmond is entirely evacuated. The next day, Union troops invade. -
Lee Surrenders
Lee his army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Grant allows Confederate officers to keep their sidearms and horses. -
Lincoln is Shot
Abraham and Mary Lincoln attend a play called "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. At 10;13 p.m., John Wilkes Booth shoots Abraham Lincoln in the head. -
Lincoln Dies
At 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865, Lincoln dies. Vice President Andrew Johnson fills the role of President. -
Johnston Surrenders
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Sherman in Durham, North Carolina. -
John Wilkes Booth is Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a Virginia tobacco farm. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The Thirteenth Amendment that was passed by Congress on January 1st is ratified and slavery is abolished. -
Lincoln's Birthday Is Formally Observed
The first formal observation of President Lincoln's birthday is held in Washington, D. C. and President Andrew Johnson attends to pay respects. -
Johnson Rejects Civil Rights Act
President Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on the argument that it was unconstitutional. -
United States Declares Peace
The United States declares peace with the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. -
Congress Purchases Ford's Theater
Congress offers $100,000 to but Ford's Theater. It is made into the Army Medical Museum, the Office of the Surgeon general, and will contain the War Department records. -
Congress Overrides Veto
Congress overrides President Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. -
Congress Approves the 14th Amendment
Thirty-ninth Congress approves the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. -
Congress Creates Admiral Rank
Congress creates the new military rank of Admiral. David Farragut is appointed the first man to receive this rank. -
Congress Creates General of All Armies
Congress establishes a "general of the armies" and Ulysses S. Grant is promoted to 4-star general and immediately made the first man to be put in this position. William Tecumseh Sherman is promoted to the rank of Lt. General. -
Ku Klux Klan Is Recognized
The United States Secret Service initiates an investigation of the Ku Klux Klan. -
Peace Is Made With Texas
President Johnson issues a proclamation of peace with Texas. -
Blacks Vote In Washington D.C.
Blacks in Washington D.C. are granted the right to vote due to a bill passed over President Andrew Johnson's veto. -
Nebraska Becomes a State
Nebraska is officially admitted into the Union as a state. -
Mississippi Regains Its Military
The Federal Army restores military rule to Mississippi. -
Tenure of Office Act Passed
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, which denies the President the right to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. -
2nd Reconstruction Act Passed
Andrew Johnson vetoes the 2nd Reconstruction Act but Congress overrules it and passes the 2nd Reconstruction Act. -
Alaska Territory Purchased
William P. Seward signs a treaty with Russia and buys Alaska for 2 cents per acre. It "Seward's Folly" by Democrats. Senate Ratifies the treaty. -
Southern States Admitted Back Into the Union
Congress passes a bill admitting the states of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas refuse to ratify the fourteenth amendment, so they are refused admission into the Union. -
Committee on Reconstruction
House Select Committee on Reconstruction is appointed. -
Grant Becomes ad interim Secretary of War
Ulysses S. Grant becomes ad interim Secretary of War. -
Alaska Joins the United States
Russia turns over Alaska territory to the United States.
