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Election of 1860
The events around this election changed the course of history, primarily because of the split of the Democratic party. As this party became the Southern and Northern Democrats, the votes for the Democrats were now split between these groups. This gave Lincoln a major advantage, leading to his presedency. This choice gave South Carolina a reason to secede, leading into the Civil War. Also a result, having a Republican president led to the end of slavery. -
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Civil War Events
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South Carolina Secedes
Becuase of the electing of Abraham Lincoln to office, South Carolina decided to secede. This led to many other states seceding from the Union, ultimately causing the Civil War. This was the start of the formation of the Confederacy and their want to protect slavery. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
(ended April 14) This battle included the shot that started the Civil War. Fort Sumter was a Union fort and was fired upon by the Confederates, making the Union look as if they were on the defensive side. The shots fired here are what began tearing the separated United States apart, leading into the rest of the Civil War. -
Battle of Bull Run
This battle was the end of the innocence of the war, being the bloodiest battle to date. The Union was defeated, shocking the North. The South gained confidence while the North realized they would need to work harder. -
Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack
This was the first iron clad battle in the history of America. It ushered in the new age of the American navy, that would continue to develop. It changed the primary building of naval ships from wood to iron. -
Battle of Antietam
(ended Sep 18) This battle was the first to be fought on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single day in American history with the battle totaling 22,717 casualties. Because this turned out to be a Union victory, Lincoln used it as a way to lead into announcing his Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
(ended Dec 15) This battle ended the campaign against the Confederate Capital of Richmond. The abortive "Mud March" and other events led to the replacement of Burnisde by Joseph Hooker. This event was a turning point for General Lee because the Norht thought it'd be easier to end the southern rebellion. The Union lost many soldiers. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This proclamation, by Abraham Lincoln, freed the slaves in the Confederacy. It didn't do anything very practical, as Lincoln had no control over the Confederacy and in the area in which he did have control (the Union), slaves weren't freed. Though this didn't have an immediate effect, it did make a statement about Lincoln's beliefs and led into the ending of the Civil War. -
Battle of Vicksburg
(ended July 4) This battle's major significance is that it transferred the power over the Mississippi River to the Union. This gave much more control to the North. It made it harder for the Confederacy to sustain the fight. Also, General Grant became very respected, leading to his later political career. -
Battle of Gettysburg
(ended July 3) This battle was a major turning point in the war. The Confederacy had had most of the power before this, winning many battle, but now that power was shifting to the Union. It was one of the most influential battles leading to the end of the Civil War. -
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Post-1863 events
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Grant appointed Union General
The Union had had a long line of inexperienced, poor generals. Grant's talents led the Union to victory. This choice helped to change the outcome of the war and how soon it occurred. -
Lincoln Reelected
This reelection showed how Lincoln had the support he needed to put his plans into action. This reelection assured that the Republicans had the power and the United States would become united once again. Lincoln's assassination changed the outcome that was chosen when Lincoln was reelected. -
Sherman's March
(ended December 21) Sherman led troops through the South on the "March to the Sea" and burned things in their path. They wanted to instill fear into the South and prove their power. They did not expect the outcome. The Confederacy's economy was destroyed and when they reunited with the Union, reconstruction had to address fixing this problem. -
Battle of Appomatax Court House
This was the last battle of the Civil War, leading into the era of Reconstruction. Robert E. Lee surrendered here and this is where the surrender documents were signed. This ended the years of fighting and foresaw the changes to come (ex: abolishing slavery). -
Lincoln's Assassination
Because Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, he was not able to carry out his Reconstruction plans. The war had just recently ended. Instead, Johnson became president, and because he held different beliefs, he changed the outcome of American history. -
Ratification of the 13th Amendment
This amendment outlawed any form of forced servitude. It's goal was to end slavery. The southern states had to ratify it to rejoin the Union. It was passed immediately after the war ended. -
2nd Reconstruction Act
This act supplemented the first and established who had the power. It clarified that military commanders were supposed to register voters and hold elections in their territories. It stripped many office holders who had entered their place before the Civil War ended, so they had not taken the oath to the Constitution. -
Impeachment of Johnson
This affected the rest of history as Johnson was impeached, but found not guilty. It showed that a president could not be impeached just because their beliefs were not liked. This wouldn't have occurred without the assassination of Lincoln, which could've changed the rest of the course of history with later impeachments, -
Adoption of the 14th Amendment
This was one of the Reconstruction amendments and made all former slaves citizens. Though slavery was outlawed in the 13th amendment, they hadn't been citizens before, so they weren't after that. This amendment led to the eventual addition that blacks could vote. -
Ratification of 15th Amendment
This amendment banned denying men the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous position of servitude.Though this was a large step for equality, many states were still very racist and made it hard for them to vote. The exception on this amendment was that it only allowed men to vote, inspiring women to work even harder to win this right.