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South Carolina votes to secede from the United States
On November 10, 1860 the S.C. General Assembly called for a "Convention of the People of South Carolina" to consider secession. The result of this was the state separating itself from America on December 17th. This started the civil war. -
Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address
On the Monday of March 4th, Lincoln gave a speech as part of his taking of the Oath of Office. This speech happened after 7 states had seceded. -
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
The first battle of the civil war began when President Lincoln announced he would be sending supplies to the fort. After 34 hours, the soldiers surrendered the fort. -
Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
On April 27, 1861, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to give military authorities the necessary power to silence dissenters and rebels. Under this order, commanders could arrest and detain individuals who were deemed threatening to military operations. -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy in Virginia in 1861. Jefferson Davis sent the Vice President to arrange the capital for the president. -
First Battle of Bull Run is fought
The battle was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia. This battle made Stonewall Jackson famous, as his courage won the battle. -
Jefferson Davis elected
Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy on November 6th 1861. He was chosen because he reflected the common Confederate ideal such as keeping slavery in the South disagreeing with the North, and valuing Farmland over city land. He was elected to serve a 6 year term. -
The Merrimac and the Monitor fight off the Virginia coast Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
The Merrimac and the Monitor fought on the Virginia coast, causing the Confederates to surrender. Another name for the battle is the ¨Battle of the Ironclads¨. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, allowed Union troops to penetrate the Confederate interior. This battle was a bloodbath, with the most casualties of any war before it. -
Robert E. Lee is named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
Robert E Lee was named Commander of the Confederate army in Northern Virginia. He was requested after the wounding of Joseph E Johnston. -
Battle of Antietam
This battle occurred in Maryland, and lasted roughly 12 hours. General E Lee commanded his troops, and suffered 12,051 causalities. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
This battle occurred in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It lasted 4 days, and had the Union suffer immense losses compared to the Confederates. -
Emancipation Proclamation is announced
Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, to further show his disliking towards the South´s views. The Civil War had been raging on for 3 years. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
The battle of Chancellorsville occurred on 99,99,9999. It lasted 7 days, with the Confederates winning. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This battle occurred in Pennsylvania, and had the most casualties of the war. Robert E Lee suffered immense losses and had to halt his invasion of the North. -
Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
Grant, the leader of the Union army, and Pemberton, the leader of the confederate army, they had a ceasefire and a discussion. A surrender was finalized for the Confederate and Union army took control of the city. -
New York City draft riots
The New York Draft Riots occurred in July 1863, when the anger of working-class New Yorkers over a new federal draft law during the Civil War sparked five days of some of the bloodiest and most destructive rioting in U.S. history. The citizens felt as if a draft wasn't necessary. -
Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a short speech at the end of the ceremonies dedicating the battlefield cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He wanted to bring attention to the fact that the men on both sides who fought were very brave. -
Atlanta is captured
On August 28, 1864, Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman lays siege to Atlanta, Georgia, a critical Confederate hub, shelling civilians and cutting off supply lines. -
Abraham Lincoln defeats George McClellan to win re-election
Lincoln was reelected because the people believed he could end the Civil War successfully. He was the first Northern President to win a reelection. -
Sherman begins his March to the Sea
Union General Sherman's scorched-earth March to the Sea campaign begins. On November 15, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman begins his expedition across Georgia by torching the industrial section of Atlanta and pulling away from his supply lines. -
Congress passes the 13th Amendment
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. This freed all African Americans from slavery, changing America forever. -
Freedmen's Bureau is created
The Freedmen´s Bureau was created on March 3rd, for the purpose of helping Southerners. This helped African Americans the most, as they were recently freed and didn´t have many resources. -
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
Lincoln´s Second Inaugural Address took place on March 4th, days before the war ended. He surprised the audience by speaking about his sadness due to the fact that soldiers on both sides had died over an unnecessary war. -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
After a 9 month siege the Confederate lines broke and they retreated from the capital. This left Richmond defenseless, and it fell to the Union army. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Lee surrendered 28,000 forces in the Appomattox Court House. This marked the end of the Civil War. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
President Lincoln was assassinated by The Conspirator by the name of John Wilkes Booth. He did this on April 15th 1865 because of their varying political beliefs and the idea that slavery should be present in America. Booth shot Lincoln in the head and attempted to escape, causing a Chase across America. -
John Wilkes Booth is killed
John Wilkes Booth is killed after a long Chase in America, after hiding and sneaking in the countryside for many days. His co-conspirators were also hanged.