History Alive! Civil War TImeline (Ch. 22)

Election of 1860

Nov 6, 1860

Lincoln was elected, although he got no electoral votes at all from the South/slave states.

Inaugural Address

Mar 4, 1861

Lincoln spoke about trying to keep the nation together.

Fort Sumter

Apr 12, 1861

South Carolina took over the federal arsenal, and the Union mobilized to fight back.

Bull Run (First Manassas)

Jul 21, 1861

Confederates won (due to Rose Greenhow's secret message) and the Union realized this would not be a short war won by inexperienced troops.

Antietam

Sep 17, 1862

Bloodiest day of the Civil War; about 1/4 of the troops were casualties.

Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Sep 22, 1862

Lincoln hoped that rebel states would agree to rejoin the Union if they were promised they could keep their slaves the way the border states did.

Emancipation Proclamation

Jan 1, 1863

Slaves were "freed" in rebel states, and many slaves came to fight for the Union in all-black regiments.

Gettysburg

Jul 1, 1863

Bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Lasted three days. Lee would never again attack, but rather defended the Confederacy's lands.

Vicksburg Falls

Jul 4, 1863

General Grant's army and the Union navy attacked Vicksburg for six weeks until the civilians and defenders surrendered. The Union gained control of the Mississippi River.

Riots (New York)

Jul 13, 1863

Drafted men took out their rage on the wealthy and blacks in general. Lasted until July 16.

Fort Wagner Assault

Jul 18, 1863

The 54th Massachusetts black volunteer regiment sustained very high casualties in this battle.

Gettysburg Address

Nov 19, 1863

Lincoln dedicated the battlefield to dedicated people who had fought for their country, during the Revolution and in the Civil War. Two minute speech, but one of the most famous American speeches.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural

Mar 1, 1865

Lincoln was re-elected by the Union in 1864. The war was almost over and he hoped to establish peace with the Confederacy.