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Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was a presidential election. The Election of 1860 is significant to the Civil War because it played a major role in escalating the tensions between the North and the South. The election outcome, with Abraham Lincoln winning the presidency, deeply concerned the South. They feared that Lincoln's anti-slavery stance would threaten their way of life and the institution of slavery. As a result, several Southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederation States. -
Confederate State Form
The Confederate States of America was formed by several Southern states that seceded after the election of 1860. The formation of the Confederate States was significant to the Civil War because it represented the formal separation of the Southern states from the union. The secession of these states were a direct response to Abraham Lincoln winning the election. The Confederate states believed they had the right to govern themselves and protect the institution of slavery. -
Jefferson Davis inaugurated as President of Confederate States of America
Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis being inaugurated as the President of the Confederate States of America was significant to the Civil War because it solidified the establishment of the Confederate government and leadership. His inauguration symbolized the formal separation of the Southern states from the Union and their commitment to defending their interests, including the preservation of slavery. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a historic fort that played a significant role in the Civil War. The Confederate forces attacked the fort, which were held by Union troops. This event marks the official start of the Civil War. The battle at Fort Sumter symbolized the deep divisions between the North and the South and set the stage for the four-year-long conflict that followed. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was the first full-blown war of the Civil War. The fight of the First Battle of Bull Run forced the North and South to face reality that this war would be long and bloody. Even though the Civil War officially started when Fort Sumter got attacked, all of the fighting didn't begin until the Battle of Bull Run. -
Battle of Shiloh
Ended April 7th, 1862. The Battle of Shiloh was a victory for the Union during the Civil War. The South's loss at the Battle of Shiloh ended the Confederacy hopes of being able to block the Union from advancing further to the Mississippi River. It also doomed the Confederate's military initiative in the West. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam is the deadliest one-day battle in American military history. The Union victory at the Battle of Antietam gave Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, making the Battle of Antietam one of the key turning points to the Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is a presidential proclamation and executive order that declared all slaves be free. The Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the Union be for freedom. It added moral force to the Union and strengthened the Union, politically and militarily. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg was Union victory during the Civil War that divided the Confederacy and made Union General Ulysses S. Grant known. The Union victory of the Battle of Vicksburg weakened the Confederacy by splitting it in half and isolated Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, all of them being Southern states. The Confederate surrender and ensured the Union control of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Ended July 3rd, 1863. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil war, the three-day long battle being the most bloodiest single battle of conflict. The Battle of Gettysburg had the largest numbers of causalities of the entire war. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a speech from Abraham Lincoln who said that the United States had to stand as a country where all men are created equal and should be treated equal. In the Gettysburg Address, he spoke about the principles of human equality and connected the sacrifices of the Civil War. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Ended December 21st, 1864. Sherman's March to the Sea was where Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman led troops through the Confederate state of Georgia, pillaging and destroying military outposts and civilian properties. Sherman's March to the sea may have tipped the scale of victory towards the Union. Sherman's destruction caused Confederate economic loss and diminished the moral, generating resentment from Southerners. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in all states and territories. The 13th Amendment also outlawed involuntary servitude. In the aftermath of the Civil War, this banned slavery, ending a barbaric system that had been legal in America for over 100 years. An entire eighth of the population, 4 million people, were freed due to the 13th Amendment. -
Appomattox Courthouse
At the Appomattax Courthouse, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to General Ulysses S. Grant. The Appomattox Courthouse marks the beginning of the country's transition to peace and reunification after the Civil War. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of United States, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC while watching a play. Abraham Lincoln's assassination resulted in a shift from his plans which impacted the legacy of Reconstruction and the future of the United States.