Civil War Timeline

Pony Express

Apr 3, 1860

The Pony Express was a system of believing mail by a man on horseback. This improved the speed at which messages and mail had been reviewed and delivered.

Democratic National Convention

May 18, 1860

Within this convention, the goal was to nominate the presidential candidates however, southerners demand that slavery be legal within the territories.

1860 Census

Jun 1, 1860

In 1860, there were 3,953,760 enslaved African Americans while there were 488,070 free. There were a total of 4,441,830 black people living in America.

The Clotilda

Jul 9, 1860

This was the very last slave ship to sail to America just before the Civil War.

Lincoln is Elected

Nov 6, 1860

Lincoln won this election with 180 electoral votes and 1,865,593 popular votes.

The 1860 Election

Nov 6, 1860

This election was one of the most pivotal and vital presidential elections in the American history due to the outcome that could have changed depending on the president,

First Secession Convention

Dec 17, 1860

The first Secession Convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina.

1860 Compromise

Dec 18, 1860

This was an unsuccessful attempt to keep slavery within the constitution which would make it unconstitutional to abolish slavery.

South Carolina Succession

Dec 20, 1860

In December of 1860, South Carolina was the first of the Southern states to succeed in the Nation.

Confederates States of America

Feb 4, 1861

On February 4, 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed with Jefferson Davis as the President.

Jefferson Davis

Feb 18, 1861

Jefferson Davis is appointed as the first president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama.

Inauguration Day

Mar 4, 1861

Abraham Lincoln is elected and inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States of America.

Battle of Shiloh

Apr 6, 1861

This was the first major battle within Tennessee where a Union victory gave the Union greater control of the Mississippi River Valley.

Fort Sumter

Apr 12, 1861

War was declared and with that, the first shot of the Civil War was fired. No one was killed with 4,000 rounds fired.

Call for Men

Apr 15, 1861

Lincoln called 75,000 men to form a militia for the North.

Battle of Philippi

Jun 3, 1861

It was a Union victory as well as the first organized "battle" though it was more of a skirmish than a battle.

First Battle of Bull Run

Jul 21, 1861

The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle to occur during the Civil War. It was initiated by Union against the Confederates. It ended with a Confederate victory.

Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri

Aug 10, 1861

The Union attacked Confederate troops yet it ended with a Confederate victory. This emphasized the morals and presence of the South.

Fort Hatteras

Aug 28, 1861

The Union takes Fort Hatteras which indicates the initial efforts made by the North to capture Southern ports within North Carolina.

Battle of Ball's Bluff

Oct 21, 1861

A Union Colonel led troops across the Potomac River where a plethora of soldiers drowned and the Colonel was killed.

Battle of Mill Springs

Jan 19, 1862

This was a Union victory that weakened the Confederate's hold upon Kentucky.

Surrender of Fort Donelson

Feb 16, 1862

Here, Union General Ulysses S. Grant earned his nickname of "Unconditional Surrender" due to the persistence he held during the Union Invasion of the Cumberland River.

Jefferson Davis is inagurated

Feb 22, 1862

After holding the position as "President", Davis is officially inaugurated as the first President of the Confederate States of America.

Battle of Pea Ridge

Mar 7, 1862

This battle was a Union victory that had loosened the Confederate grip on Missouri as well as a portion of the Mississippi River.

Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond

May 31, 1862

Here, the Confederates commander, General Joseph Johnston, was wounded and replaced by General Robert E. Lee. He renames his command the "Army of Northern Virginia".

The Seven Days' Battles before Richmond

Jun 25, 1862

General Lee's army attacks General McClellan's "Army of the Potomac" in a succession of battles.

Battle of Second Bull Run

Aug 30, 1862

This is a Confederate victory and history is repeated here with the same outcome as the First Battle of Bull Run.

Battle of Antietam

Sep 17, 1862

This was the bloodiest single-day battle of the whole Civil War. It is a Union victory and about 23,000 men died.

McClellan is Fired

Nov 5, 1862

General George McClellan is fried by Lincoln for having the slows. This meant that he was not able to act as fast as Lincoln wanted him to.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

Dec 8, 1862

Lincoln issues a statement, the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, declaring that any person participating in the "rebellion" would be pardoned if they took an oath to the Union.

Battle of Fredericksburg

Dec 13, 1862

The Union Army of the Potomac was defeated by Confederate General Lee.

Battle of Stones River

Jan 3, 1863

The Union victory here frees the middle of Tennessee from the Confederate control. This also boosts the morale of the Northerners.

Battle of Chancellorsville

May 3, 1863

Here was General Lee's greatest victory, however, General "Stonewall" Jackson is shot and mortally wounded as well.

Stonewalls Death

May 10, 1863

Since General Stonewall Jackson was shot in the previous battle, his wounds became fatal, and he passes away on May 10.

Siege of Vicksburg

May 18, 1863

For either side of the battle, Vicksburg is a vital victory and is victorious by Union. It gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.

Gettysburg Campaign

Jun 28, 1863

The Confederates passed through New York and they had reached a bridge that the Union had set on fire which had led to a plethora of skirmishes.

The Battle of Gettysburg

Jul 1, 1863

This battle is seen to be the turning point of the Civil War. It was a 3-day battle also known as the bloodiest battle. It was also a Union victory.

Vicksburg Surrender

Jul 4, 1863

Here, Grant finally captures Vicksburg and it is seen as a Union victory.

The Battle of Chickamauga

Sep 19, 1863

The Union Army of the Cumberland area is defeated by the Confederate Troops of Tennessee.

Gettysburg Address

Nov 19, 1863

Lincoln dedicates the battlefield of Gettysburg as a National Cemetary. Here, Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address.

Submarine Attack

Feb 17, 1864

The First Successful Submarine Attack of the Civil War was initiated by the Confederates.

Opening of Andersonville Prison Camp

Feb 27, 1864

This camp was used as a prison where Union soldiers were held under OCnfereate order. Here, the death rate was incredibly high due to the filth and brutal treatment.

Battle of the WIlderness

May 4, 1864

Grant orders an attack against Lee and this battle took place in the thick woods surrounding Fredericksburg.

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

May 8, 1864

Here, Lee was able to successfully stall Grant in his attempt to reach Richmond.

Battle of Cold Harbor

Jun 1, 1864

The Union fails at their attempts to dislodge Lee and his army from their defense of Richmond.

Battle of Brice's Crossroads

Jun 10, 1864

This was a Confederate victory that boosted their morale due to the fact that were outnumbered by about 2:1.

Assault on Petersburg

Jun 15, 1864

Here, Grant was able to systematically isolate the city of Petersburg. With this, he cut off the Confederate's supplies to the capital.

Confederate Troops Approach Washington, D.C

Jul 13, 1864

A Confederate General Early lead his forces within 5 miles of Washington, D.C., until they were driven back to Virginia.

Abraham Lincoln Is Re-Elected

Nov 8, 1864

During the 1864 election, Lincoln is re-elected as the President of the United States of America.

Sherman's March to the Sea

Nov 15, 1864

Sherman and his men cut a 300-mile-long path in which they destroyed factories, bridges, railroads, and public buildings.

Attack on Fort Stedman

Mar 25, 1865

This battle was seen to be Lee's last offensive battle where the Confederates attacked the Union fort and here they were unsuccessful.

The Battle of Five Forks

Apr 1, 1865

This was a Confederate defeat where Lee made the decision to abandon the siege lines of Petersburg and Richmond.

Battle of Appomattox Court House

Apr 7, 1865

Here Union General Grant won against Confederate General Lee. The Confederates were struggling which led Lee to attempt to surrender.

Lee's Surrender

Apr 9, 1865

Lee declared his surrender in order to protect the South from further damage.

Civil War End

Apr 9, 1865

Lee's surrender marks the beginning of the end of the Civil War

Lincoln's Assassination

Apr 14, 1865

Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater.

Confederate Army of Tennessee Surrenders

Apr 26, 1865

General Joseph Johnston surrenders to the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

More Confederate Surrenders

May 4, 1865

A Confederate General Taylor surrenders the forces located in Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana.

Davis is Captured

May 10, 1865

Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia.

Final Battle

May 12, 1865

The Final Battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate Army

First Ambulance

Mar 28, 1866

The First Ambulance went into service.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866

Apr 9, 1866

This act declared that all people born in the U.S. were to be citizens.

ASPCA

Apr 10, 1866

The ASPCA was founded in order to prevent cruelty towards animals.

Dynamite

May 18, 1866

The invention of dynamite increased the ability to mine and increase economic wealth through mining faster.

Irish Americans

Jun 1, 1866

In the spring of the year 1866, a group of Irish Americans who had fought on either side of the Civil War attacked Canada.

14th Amendment

Jun 13, 1866

The 14th Amendment is passed by the House of Representatives in order to grant everyone born in the U.S. citizenship. This includes slaves.

The Freedmen’s Bureau Act of 1866

Jul 16, 1866

The Freedmen’s Bureau Act was put in place in 1865 to support the displaced Southerners and African Americans who needed shelter after the war. However, in 1866, the act was extended.

Army Organization Act

Jul 28, 1866

Congress declared that the Army Organization Act claimed that all former slaves were able to participate in the Civil War.

Formal End

Aug 2, 1866

In 1866, the 17th president, Andrew Johnson declares that the war is finally over.

Buffalo Soldiers

Sep 21, 1866

This group of men was the 10th Calvary Regiment filled with only African American freedmen.

The First Reconstruction Act of 1867

Mar 1, 1867

This act gave the people of the African American community a voice in the U.S. government which was the first time in American History.

Approval of Lincoln Memorial

Mar 29, 1867

The idea Lincoln Memorial was approved and soon ready to be built.

Alaska

Mar 30, 1867

The state of Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million in the year 1867.

White Supremacy

Apr 13, 1867

In the year 1867, a plethora of African America hatred groups rose such as the Ku Klux Klan and many others.

Typewriter

Jun 23, 1867

The invention of the typewriter helped increase the press and inform the public more about Civil Writes acts.

The Second Reconstruction Act

Jul 2, 1867

The second reconstruction act allowed African American citizens the right to vote.

First Elevated Railroad

Jul 2, 1867

The first elevated railroad took the path around the U.S.A beginning in New York.

Dental School

Jul 17, 1867

Harvard has created the first Dental school which improved the societal view of health,

The Third Reconstruction Act

Jul 19, 1867

This act gave power to the Supreme Court to attempt to restore the southern states.

Midway Island

Sep 30, 1867

The United States of America took control of Midway Island.