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Battle of Wilderness, Virginia
This battle is significant because this was the first battle fought between Grant and Lee. This was also the first battle that Grant tried "total war" attacks to tried to destroy the Confederate military and the economic structure. No one won this battle but the North had the upper hand and the Confederate states started to fall below and this battle was the end of Lee's victories during the Civil War. -
Maryland abolishes slavery
Maryland was a slave state but they didn't seceded with the other southern states. Lincoln never abolished slavery here, but Maryland abolishes even though slaves helped their economy. They also do this to sort of separate themselves because the was forced to get rid of slavery but Maryland just gave it up. -
Sherman burns Atlanta
This is important because the Union didn't want the Confederate to form back up and attack the Union again. Sherman tells his men to burn all of Atlanta to the ground. This is the start of the Union buring the towns that they went throught to meet Lee and his army. -
Abraham Lincoln is re-elected President of the United States
This is significant because he won even though not that many people liked him, but they liked how he wanted to bring the Union back together, It was important for him to be re-elected since he was apart of the beginning of the war. With Lincoln getting re-elected then that also made the war come closer to an end. -
U.S. House passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery
This was siginificant because this was one step closer to ending slavery in the United States. Then it went to the states so that they could raftify it so that something like this could never happen again. This was the second time that this amendment went through the House because the first timed it had failed but the re-election of Lincoln changed that. -
Jefferson Davis signs law authorizing black men to serve in Confederate Army
This is significant because this was the first time that black men were allowed certain things that were prohibited before. There was a law that didn't allow them to carry rifles or any weapons but when Davis signed this law then a couple of days later they changed the law so that they slaves fighting could carry weapons. When this came into effect it gave the masters an option to free their slaves after they finished their time in the Confederate Army but it didn't require them too. -
Lee surrends to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse
This is significant because this marks the end of the Civil War. Lee didn't want to surreneder when Grant suggested to but then later Lee realized he should. This also marked the beginning of the Reconstruction era because all the Confederate states had to go back into the Union because they couldn't support themselves any more after the Union destoryed the economy. -
President Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theater
This is significant because he is the first President to be shot while he is President. The Civil War just ended and he was putting together his Reconstruction plan for the South. It also shows just how split the nation still was even thought the Civil War had ended. -
President Johnson proclaims amnesty for most ex-Confederates
This is important because this is the one of the ifrst things that Andrew Johnson does after becoming President when Lincoln died. President Johnson did this because he want the same thing that Lincoln wanted which was restoring the Union as quickly as possible and declaring amnesty was the fast way the restore the Union. With Johnson declaring amnesty meant that Confederate leaders could get back into the Union's political system. -
The 13th Amendment becomes apart of the U.S. Constitution
This offical makes and form of slavery or forced servitude illegal in the United States. This was really just talking about using blacks for slaves but the amendment never made what type of slavery went this amendment so it covers everyone that lives in the United States. This also makes other amendments possible during the Reconstruction era like voting for men.
