-
Trent Affair
This was an incident in which an American ship intercepted Britian's RMS Trent and forcibly removed two Confederate officers from the ship. It became an international diplomatic problem that nearly led to war between America and England. -
Battle of Antietam
McClellan's forces faced Lee's forces near Sharpsburg, Maryland in this battle. This battle became the bloodiest single day in American military history. It ended in a draw, but since the Confederates retreated, Lincoln considered it a Union victory. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Burnside sent a regiment of the Army of the Potomac to guard near Fredericksburg. In response, the union forces attacked several bridges that spanned across the river. After fighting for a considerable period, Burnside took his forces back away from the action. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was Lincoln's way of addressing slavery in all parts of the nation that were in rebellion. As of his issuing of the document, all slaves of the Confederacy were declared free citizens. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Though Lee's forces were depleted and tired, he opted to attempt a surpirse attack on a much larger Federal force in the thick of the wilderness. It caught the Union forces completly off guard, and the Confederates left victorious. It is considered one of Lee's greatest victories of the war. -
Battle of Vicksburg
From May until July in the city of Vicksburg, Grant's armies conerged on the city and trapped a Confederate army under Penderton. The Union forces laid seize to the city and effectively split the Confederacy in half after success in this Mississippi town. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Arguably the most critical battle of the War, Gettysburg raged for three days in in Pennsylvania when Lee faced Meade's forces. Nearly 51,000 soldiers were lost in the battle. -
New York Draft Riots
These were a series of riots from the working-class of people demonstrating their disapproval of the laws Congress passed to force men to fight in the Civil War. -
Lincoln Delivers Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was Lincoln's speech given to dedicate the graves of troops lost during the Battle of Gettysburg. It moved the nation and is considered one of the greatest speeches of history. -
Battle of Chattanooga
Grant gave great emphasis on ending the Confederate siege of Chattanooga. With reinforcements in the area, the Unionists launched an attack and overtook Lookout Mountain. The Confederates left the city and made the South vulnerable to a complete Union invasion. -
Lincoln Prorposes 10% Plan
Lincoln proposed a plan for the reinstatement of csouthern states into the union with this plan. It stated that the state could return to the union when 10% of the voters of the 1860 election exhibited loyalty to the union and promised to abide by the emancipation of slaves. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
After the Battle of the Wilderness, Grant and his troops moved south. They wanted to lossen the Conderacy's hold over Virginia. With the Federals on the offensive, Lee assembled several line of defenses to block the road. This offense/defense of the two armies along roads in Virginia was among the worst of the war. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
Shiridan seized vital crossroads at Cold Harbor. Confederate infantry tried to retake the railroads, but they were unsuccessful. Soon, reinforcements arrived and major fighting erupted. Confederates were able to construct better defenses lines, and so the union forces had to quickly retreat from the area. -
Battle of Petersburg
Meade's army marched from Cold Harbor toward the Potomac River. Butler's forces began attack on the city of Petersburg, Virginia and faced the defenders of the city- Beauregard and the Confederates. The Confederates defended the city well and the opportunity to overtake the city without seige was lost for the Union. -
Wade-Davis Bill
The Wade-Davis Bill was proposed by Wade and Davis that required Southern states to take the Ironclad Oath (stating they never supported the Confed.) in order to rejoin the Union. Lincoln vetoed it, and this outraged many Republicans. -
Battle of Nashville
Hood led an army out of Tennessee toward Nashville, despite having great losses in the battle at Franklin. When he reached Nashville, he found complex fortifications in the city and suffered major losses. The Confederates fled from the area. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Shot in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln was lost in what would become one of the most tragic days in American history. His death left an already shaky nation in search for stability. -
Freedman's Bureau Founded
Established by Congress, this group worked to help freed Blacks and poor Whites in the South. -
States begin passing Black Codes
From 1865-1866, many states passed Black Codes. These restricted freedom for Blacks and attempted to keep them as a source for labor. -
KKK Founded
The Ku Klux Klan was established in 1865 in Tennessee. It was a regressive movement of racist individuals that would hurt American society for decades. -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendements Passed
The 13th amendment was ratified in 1865 and abolished slavery from the nation. The fourteenth amendment was ratified in 1868 and guaranteed and equal protection and due process of law to all American citiziens. The fifteenth was ratified in 1870 and guaranteed all American citizens the right to vote. -
First Reconstruction Act
This Act, passed over Johnson's veto, divided the South (except Tennessee) into different regions to be supervised by northern officials. It also required souther states to adopt the 14th Amendment and establish/ reform constitutions. -
Impeachment of Johnson
Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868. Beacue of his actions blocking several rogressive groups and laws from functioning, he became the first president to be impeached. -
End of Reconstruction
The period of Reconstruction came to an end in 1877. Much progress had been made in the country to recover from the war during this time. -
Hayes-Tilden Compromise
This compromise settled a major dispute regarding the election and pulled troops out of several areas. It contributed to better times of peace in America. -
Civil Rights Act
This Act, passed in 1964, outlawed discrimation based on race, gender, age, etc. It was a landmark law for civil rights in America.
