American

Civil War Timeline

By tessatimetoast

  • Abraham Lincoln is elected president.

    Abraham Lincoln is elected president.
    Lincoln says he will stop the explansion of slavery. 7 Southern states seceed, despite Lincoln's pleads.

  • Fort Sumter

    Fort Sumter
    • 1. South leaves Union and take over Union Forts.
    • 2. Lincoln sends reinforcements.
    • 3. South attacks Fort and force them to surrender.
    • 4. Four more Southern states leave.
    • 5. Beginning of Civil War.

  • Battle of Bull Run

    Battle of Bull Run
    • 1. Lincoln calls for 90 day enlistments.
    • 2. Lincoln wants to take Confederate Capitol- Richmond, VA
    • 3. Union winning first half but pushed back by Confederates.
    • 4. Turning Point- North realizes not a short war.
    • 5. Lincoln calls for thousands of more volunteers, 3 year

  • Battle of Antietam

    Battle of Antietam
    • 1. Confederate General Lee attacks the North.
    • 2. The single bloodiest day in the Civil War- Over 22,500
    • 3. Union victory, but don’t finish off Southern army.
    • 4. Turning Point- due to struggles of war Northerners begin looking for new reason to fight.
    • 5. Emancipation Proclamation (Free Southern Slaves) written and adopted.

  • Siege of Vicksburg

    Siege of Vicksburg
    • 1. Confederate guns controlled river
    • 2. 43 day siege of Mississippi stronghold
    • 3. Turning point- completes the anaconda plan
    • 4. Union gains complete control of Mississippi river
    • 5. Grant is promoted to Union General

  • Battle of Gettysburg

    Battle of Gettysburg
    • 1. Lee invades the North
    • 2. Bring war North, convince them to call for peace, and secure European aide
    • 3. 1/3 of army lost- Pickett’s Charge
    • 4. THE turning point of the war
    • 5. Lee loses ability play offense and stays on defense

  • Sherman's March

    Sherman's March
    • 1. Marched through Georgia destroying all war resources
    • 2. Burned down city of Atlanta
    • 3. Destroyed a path 60 miles wide through Georgia
    • 4. Helped get Lincoln reelected
    • 5. Turning Point- used total war to destroy everything of military value and destroy Southern will.

  • Appomatox

    Appomatox
    • 1. Grant puts city of Petersburg under siege
    • 2. Siege lasts for 10 months
    • 3. Lee is forced to surrender because the Union broke through his defenses capturing Petersburg and Richmond
    • 4. Grant’s surrender terms ask them to lay down their weapons and return home
    • 5. Officially ends the Civil War on April 9, 1865