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The Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces, led by General P.G.T. Beauregard, fired on the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, after the Union refused to surrender. After 34 hours of constant bombardment, Union Major Robert Anderson surrendered, marking the official start of the Civil War. The attack alarmed the North causing President Lincoln to call for the amassing of troops. Which consequently prompted more Southern states to secede. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
Fought in Virginia, this was the first major land battle of the war, with inexperienced Union troops commanded by General Irvin McDowell clashing with Confederate forces led by Generals Joseph E. Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard. The battle marked a Confederate victory and a panicked Union retreat toward Washington, D.C. This embarrassing loss made it clear that the war would be longer and more brutal than many had expected. -
The Battle of Antietam
Fought in Maryland, Antietam was the bloodiest battle in American history, with 23,000 casualties. Though the battle was technically a draw, it stopped the Confederate general Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North and drove him back into Virginia. The Union’s strategic advantage allowed President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which restructured the war on ending slavery. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln’s executive order announced that enslaved people in regions controlled by the Confederacy were free, but it did not instantly abolish slavery in the Union. It turned the Civil War into a war against slavery and deterred European nations from siding with the Confederacy. It also enlisted Black men into the Union Army, putting thousands of soldiers on stateside farms, factories and military bases, bolstering Northern forces. -
The Siege of Vicksburg
Union General Ulysses S. Grant led a raid on Vicksburg, Mississippi, a major Confederate stronghold along the Mississippi River. Starved and battered for weeks, the Confederate forces surrendered on July 4, giving the Union total control of the Mississippi River. This victory essentially divided the Confederacy in two, crippling Southern supply lines and communication. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
A three-day clash in Pennsylvania, Gettysburg marked the turning point of the war, and the end of General Lee’s second and final invasion of the North. The Union victory caused crippling casualties to the Confederates, limiting their capacity to go on the offensive. Lee’s retreat signaled the start of the Confederacy’s slow unraveling, ending in its defeat. -
The Gettysburg Address
President Lincoln delivered this brief but powerful speech at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg. In a brief 272 words, he delivered one of the most memorable speeches given in U.S history. His words reframed the war’s meaning, helping bolster the idea that the war was about freedom and national unity. -
General Sherman’s March to the Sea
General William Sherman of the Union conducted a devastating campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, employing “total war” tactics. His plan was he could destroy the Souths ability to challenge him by breaking their economy and morale, and the South, with their limited resources to begin with, would not be able to support a prolonged war. The campaign was a psychological blow to the South, and one that sped the war to an end. -
The Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia after months of defeats and dwindling supplies. Aided by generous terms from Grant which allowed Confederate soldiers to return home peaceably, this also helped prevent any further resistance. This was the practical conclusion of the Civil War, though smaller Confederate groups would surrender in the weeks to come. -
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Just days after the war ended, President Lincoln was shot by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the next morning, shocking the nation and leaving the country in political turmoil during the start of Reconstruction. His death dramatically altered the course of post-war policies, as his lenient approach to reunifying the nation was replaced by harsher measures from more radical republicans.