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Abraham Lincoln is elected president
Abe Lincoln was the first Republican president, and this party is known for opposing slavery. This was something that Lincoln was known for, the abolition of slavery. He is kind of the face of the Civil War and he had many important contributions to this war. He advised troops into battle, had a game plan when it came to warfare, and stood up for the Union which he was trying to keep together. -
South Secession
This is when southern states decided to leave the Union and build their own nation, “The Confederate States of America”. The south hated the Union and wanted to see it fall, this was basically the beginning of the Civil War. South Carolina left the Union first and then Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas joined them. This is when the United States truly split into two differing halves with very different opinions, it was not a good mix and was bound for disaster. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
This was the battle that set of the Civil War, there has been conflicts before this but this is when the confederate states actually attacked the Union’s troops at Fort Sumter. The Confederates won after the Union surrendered and this was one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. history. -
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Civil War
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The Battle of Pea Ridge
This was the biggest battle of the Civil War that was fought west of the Mississippi. The Union won this war because of their strategies. This win gave the Union control over Missouri for the rest of the war and disrupted the southern control offer the Mississippi. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The first major battle in Tennessee, this showed Ulysses S. Grant’s determination and loyalty to Lincoln and the Union. He fought relentlessly to defeat the confederates at Shiloh, and this caused the south to need to make some changes to their warfare. General Albert Sidney Johnson is also killed on the first day of this battle, he was an important confederate general, which was a huge loss for the south. -
Confiscation Act
Lincoln approves the Second Confiscation Act, which prohibited the return of emancipated slaves, and also emancipated slaves in federal area. This was a turning point, this was when emancipation became a huge instrument of the war. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation proclamation said that slaves in rebelling states could be free and authorized black enlistees in the army and this set of the white southerners. This is also a turning point in the war, where the focus became on building a better union, without slavery. -
Atlanta Falls
Confederate general John B. Hood, abandoned Atlanta after Sherman and his army destroy the city. This gave power to the Union and spark fear into the confederates. -
March to the Sea
Sherman decided to move south instead of following the confederates back to Tennessee. This 300 mile march demonstrated the power that the north had, he and his army destroyed everything in their path. This demoralized the confederates and when they reached Savannah, Georgia, the city’s defenders all left and didn’t even fight. -
End of Civil War
Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Virginia after Grant had blocked his escape route to North Carolina. Lee was a confederate general who led the confederacy and was the face of the south during the war. The Confederate armies and governments slowly faded away after Lee’s surrender and this marked the end of the Civil War.