-
Henry Rifle Perfected
Benjamin Henry completes his model of the Henry rifle. This gun was used by many members of the Union Army in the Civil War -
Pony Express Begins
The Pony Express was the first mail service created in 1860. It replaced the telegraph system, and would deliver messages, newspapers, and mail. -
The Democratic National Convention
On April 23, 1860, the first Democratic National Convention is held. They cannot agree on a nominee, so decide to continue the debate in Baltimore the following month. -
The Constitution Union Party Meets
The Constitution Union Party meets in Baltimore to create a platform taken heavily from the U. S. Constitution and selects John Bell of Tennessee for President. It represents southern Whigs and Know-nothings a.k.a. the American Party or sometimes called the Bell-Union Party. -
Republican Convention is Held
On May 18, 1860, the Republican Convention is held in Chicago, Illinois. William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Abraham Lincoln of Illinois are the leading contenders from a list of 12 candidates. Lincoln wins on the third ballot. -
Southerners Host the National Democratic Convention
Southern delegates hold a National Democratic convention in Richmond. Party leaders urge a "wait and see" approach. -
The 2nd Democratic Convention
The Democrats meet again as promised on June 18-23, 1867. On June 23rd, the Convention nominates Stephen Douglas Hershcal V. Johnson for the election of 1860. -
Southern Democratic Convention
On June 26, 1860, southern Democrats hold a convention in Richmond where they select John C. Breckinridge as their nominee for President. -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected President
After receiving 40% of the popular vote, Lincoln is elected President. Many southern states were not happy with the result of this election. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina was the first slave state to secede from the United States. The action was declared illegal by James Buchanan, the president at the time, however nothing was done to stop it. -
The Confederate States of America is Formed
Even though not all eleven slave states had seceded from the United States at this point, the Confederate States of America was created in February, 1861. It consisted of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. -
Mississippi Secedes
Mississippi is the second state to secede in the beginning of 1861. -
Florida Leaves the U.S.
Just a day later, Florida follows Mississippi and secedes from the United States. It is the third state to secede. -
Alabama Secedes from the Union
Alabama is the fourth state to leave the United States and join the other slave states that have separated from the country. -
Georgia Joins the Confederacy
Georgia is the fifth slave state to join the others, seceding just twenty-nine days after South Carolina, the first state to secede. -
Louisiana Secedes
On January 26, 1861, Louisiana becomes the 6th state to leave the United States and join the Confederacy. -
Texas Joins the Confederacy
Texas becomes the 7th state to enroll in the Confederate States of America on February 1, 1861. -
The Civil War Begins
After the first "battle" at Fort Sumter, the Civil War has been officially declared. No side really won as it wasn't much of a battle, however, the Union surrendered Fort Sumter to the Confederacy. -
The American Civil War Begins
The Confederate States of America declare war on the United States of America in April of 1861. Only seven states were a part of the Confederacy at this point. -
Virginia Secedes
Virginia is the 8th state to join the Confederacy months after Texas on April 17, 1861. -
Arkansas Secedes from the U.S.
On May 6, 1861, Arkansas is the 9th state to secede. -
North Carolina Enters the Confederacy
Just 14 days after Arkansas, North Carolina joins the Confederate States of America. -
Tennessee Enrolls in the Confederacy
On June 8, 1861, Tennessee becomes the 11th and final state to join the Confederate States of America. -
First Battle of Bull Run
This was the first real battle of the Civil War in Prince William County, Virginia. The Confederate Army won this battle. -
The Revenue Act of 1861
The first U.S. income tax is issued to pay for the Civil War. Americans must pay a 3% tax fee. -
Jefferson Davis is Elected as President
Jefferson Davis is unanimously elected as the President of the Confederate States of America. He had no opposition and was selected by the Confederate Congress. -
The Homestead Acts Formed
The Homestead Acts were a series of United States federal laws that granted land to those who applied for it at no cost whatsoever. More than 260 million acres of land or 10% of the total area of the U.S. was given away for free. -
Robert E. Lee is In Charge
Robert E. Lee was placed in command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 until his surrender in 1865. -
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia throughout August and September during the Civil War. -
The Peninsula Campaign is Created
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862. -
Battle of Hampton Roads
Noted as the most important naval battle of the Civil War. Located in Hampton Roads, VA, it was the first meeting in Combat of Ironclads, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. -
The Seven Days Battle Begins
A series of six major battles over the span of seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862. The battles were fought near Richmond, VA, as Confederate General Robert E. Lee charged the Army of the Potomac led by Union General George McClellan. -
Battle of Gaines' Mill
Also known as the Battle of Cold Harbor, this fight was fought on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. -
Bull Run Battle #2
The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought August 28-30, 1862 in Prince William County, VA. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign. -
Battle of Antietam
This was the first field army-level engagement battle of the Civil War to take place on Union Soil. It was also the bloodiest battle of the war. -
Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation
A presidential proclamation and executive order by President Lincoln which had moral and strategic implications for the ongoing Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation Goes into Effect
On the first of January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation is officially active. -
Lincoln Relives General Ambrose Burnside
General Ambrose Burside was requested to resign from the army by President Lincoln. He is replaced by General Joseph Hooker. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
This battle resulted in a Confederate victory that stopped an attempted flanking movement by General Joe Hooker. -
Robert E Lee's Troops Defeat Gen. "Fighting Joe" Hooker
Gen. Joe's army is defeated by Lee's army of Northern Virginia as it crosses the Rappahannock on the way to Richmond, VA. -
Welcome West Virginia to the United States!
West Virginia becomes the 35th state to enter the U.S. but the first state to enter when the terms "slave" and "free" were no longer required. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Considered the turning point of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was won by Union forces in Pennsylvania. -
Morril Act of 1862
The Morrill Land-Grants Acts were United States statutes that allowed for the formation of land-grant colleges in various states using proceeds from federal land sales. -
Grant Demands an Unconditional Surrender
Grant earns the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" after calling for an unconditional surrender when John Pemberton, commander of Confederate forces at Vicksburg, ask for battle terms. -
Battle of Chikamagua
On September 19-20, 1863, Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee defeats a Union force commanded by General William Rosecrans in the Battle of Chickamauga. -
Battle of Missionary Ridge
Three Union armies attacked the Army of Tennessee atop Missionary Ridge, east of downtown Chattanooga in Georgia. Thomas' Army of the Cumberland struck the center, breaking Bragg's line and forcing a retreat. -
Union Officers Escape
On February 9, 1864, 109 Union officers led by Thomas Rose escape from Libby Prison in Richmond, VA. Only 59 return to the Union army. -
Grant's Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia fro, May 4, 1864 to June 24, 1864 during the Civil War. -
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. -
Ulysses S. Grant Suffers a Great Loss
On May 7, 1864, Ulysses is badly beaten on the field by Gen. Robert E. Lee. Instead of surrendering he trucks on to the Spotsylvania Courthouse. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
Second major battle in General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the Civil War. -
Battle of Picketts Mill
The Battle of Pickett's Mill took place on May 27, 1864, in Paulding County, Georgia between Union and Confederate forces. Union General William Tecumseh Sherman attempted an attack on the right flank of Confederate General. Joseph E. Johnston. -
Second Battle of Cold Harbor
The Second Battle of Cold Harbor was fought May 31-June 12, 1864. It was part of the Overland Campaign, and his Army of the Potomac clashed with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in a series of battles in Virginia. -
Battle of Mobile Bay
The Battle of Mobile Bay was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Admiral Franklin Buchanan by three forts that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay -
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign is Created
The Franklin–Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia the Civil War. -
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. -
Hampton Roads Conference
On the River Queen Abraham Lincoln, William Seward, US Secretary of State , CS Vice-president Alexander Stephens, along with John Campbell and RMT Hunter discuss peace terms at the Hampton Roads Conference near Fort Monroe. The conference was unsuccessful. -
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virgini, near the junction of Five Forks, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. It was a part of the end of the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign and in the beginning stage of the Appomattox Campaign near the end of the Civil War. -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders
Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant at the home of Wilmer McLean in Appomattox Court House after trying to break free from the Union envelopment. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated on Good Friday by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C -
Andrew Johnson Becomes President
After Lincoln's assassination, Andrew Johnson becomes President of the United States on April 15, 1865. -
Confederate General Johnston Surrenders
Confederate States Army General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Union Army Major General William Tecumseh Sherman at Durham Station, North Carolina. -
More Confederate Forces Surrender
Confederate forces west of the Mississippi under General Edmund Kirby Smith surrender at Galveston, Texas becoming the last troop to do so. -
U.S. Secret Service is Founded
On July 5, 1865, the United States Secret Service was founded. It is a federal law enforcement agency still used until this day. -
The 13th Amendment is Official
The 13th Amendment is added to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment abolished slavery in the United States. -
Ku Klux Klan is Formed
The Ku Klux Klan is formed by six Confederate Army veterans, with support of the Democratic Party, in Pulaski, Tennessee, to repress freed slaves. -
New Freedman's Bureau Bill Passed
The new Freedman's Bureau bill is passed on the same day president Andrew Jackson vetoes the bill that authorized military trial for those accused of depriving African Americans of their civil rights.Congress will later override his veto. -
Johnson Vetoes the Civil Rights Act
President Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866 claiming that it was unconstitutional. -
A Place of Peace for the States
The United States declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia -
The Civil Rights Act is Back
Congress overrides President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Act and the act is passed by Congress. -
Congress Creates the Rank of Admiral
Congress creates the rank of Admiral. David Farragut is appointed to that rank. -
Ku Klux Klan is Investigated
On July 28, 1866, the U.S. Secret Service begins to inspect and investigate the Klu Klux Klan. -
Let There Be (More) Peace
A proclamation of peace with Texas is issued by United States President Andrew Johnson. -
New Jersey Ratifies the 14th Amendment
New Jersey is the first state to ratify the 14th Amendment, followed by Oregon, Vermont, Ohio, and many other states. -
Texas Rejects the 14th Amendment
Texas is the first state to reject the 14th Amendment followed by Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. -
Fire Demolishes Civil War Ships
A fire in the Philadelphia ship-yard accidently destroys a number of ships used during the Civil War -
Nebraska Joins the States
On March 1, 1867, Nebraska officially becomes a state of the U.S. -
The Tenure of Office Act is Passed
On March 2, 1867, Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, denying the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. -
The Reconstruction Acts are Founded
On March 2, 1867, Congress passes the Reconstruction Acts which set the process for readmitting Southern States to the Union. -
The Second Reconstruction Act is Passed
Supplementary to the First Reconstruction Act, Congress passes the Second Reconstruction Act over Andrew Johnson's veto. -
A Treaty With Russia
William P. Seward signs a treaty with Russia buying Alaska for 2 cents an acre. Democrats called it "Seward's Folly." -
States are Welcomed Back to the Union
Congress passes a bill allowing Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Other states, such as Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, were not admitted because they did not ratify the 14th Amendment. -
The Kidder Massacre
A Sioux and Cheyenne war party kills U.S. Second Lieutenant Lyman Kidder, along with an Indian scout and ten enlisted men in Kansas. -
First Elevated Railroad is in Function
On July 2, 1867, the first elevated railroad in USA begins service in New York. -
Joint Committee of Reconstruction is Appointed
On July 3, 1867, Congress hand selects a Committee of Reconstruction to rebuild the country after the Civil War. -
U.S. Acquires Alaska
On behalf of Russia, Alaska is added to the United States territory.
