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Lincoln Elected to be President
The election of 1860 harshly divided the democratic party of the time. Lincoln defeated his three opponents with nearly 40 percent of the total votes. -
Confederacy is Formed
The southern states secede from the union and form their own alliance, known as the confederacy. The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia had finally decided to join South Carolina in their secession. -
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Fort Sumpter
The first official battle of the Civil War was held at Fort Sumpter in South Carolina. The confederate troops won, gaining them the fort. Instead of imprisoning the opposing union forces, they decided to allow them to retreat back to the north. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv-pTU99RcY (Fort Sumpter-Youtube) -
Confederacy names Richmond as their Capitol
At the time, Richmond seemed to be the most suitable place to settle as the Confederacy's main headquarters. It's location allowed for the confederate states to quickly meet if they needed to. -
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Monitor vs. Merrimack
This naval battle marked the start of the age of Ironclads. An ironclad was a heavily armored ship that was also able to fire at any opposition. This fight was also known as the "Battle of Hampton Roads". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2oub-PkUDY (Monitor vs Merrimack- Youtube) -
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Shiloh
The Union and Confederate engage in an extremely fierce battle in Tennessee. This ended in a victory for the Union. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svX2HkI3vh8 (Battle of Shiloh-Youtube) -
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New Orleans
The Union achieves a daring attack on the city of New Orleans, a key control point for the confederacy. The confederates planned on the Union troops to try to advance through the Mississippi, but were completely dumbfounded when they were attacked from the Gulf of Mexico. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hgeOcfmv4 (The Battle of New Orleans-Youtube) -
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Seven Days Battles
The term "Seven Days Battles" represents the 6 seperate fights that occured between the North and South. In a surprising turn of events, the newly promoted Robert E. Lee launched an attack against McClellan's army of the Potomac. These battles ended in a nearly complete victory for the Confederates, ushering in a new offensive style of combat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEeBckX0_wk (Seven Days Battles-Youtube) -
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Antietam
McClellan's Potomac army launches a series of intense assaults againts Lee's army near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The armies pushed back and forth for a full day, which eventually ended in a draw, although Lincoln saw the Confederate's retreat as a victory. This urged the president to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjIbFTrqwU8 (Battle of Antietam-Youtube) -
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Emancipation Proclamation
Even though this proclamation didn't go into effect until January 1st, the Emancipation Proclamation was carefully drawn out by Lincoln for many months prior. With this document, Lincoln hoped to further pressure the Confederacy into releasing their slaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt65UV6Fspc (Emancipation Proclamation-Youtube) -
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Fredericksburg
The new Union general, Burnside, leads a corps of his men to take control of Falmouth, a town near Fredericksburg. The General hoped to be able to cross the Rappahannock River with minimal casualties, but he was surprised by Lee's men, who were already entrenched on the opposite side. Burnside eventually decided to end his campaign on December 15th, earning another victory for the South. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK-nYaNBKRU (Battle of Fredericksburg-Youtube) -
Enrollment Act
The Enrollment Act of 1863 called for all legal citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 to be drafted into the Union Army. This caused outrage in the north, and even caused the New York Riots, which lasted four days. -
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Chancellorsville
The Union's Major General Joseph Hooker places his army on the open flank of General Lee's men. Instead of retreating, Lee decided to attack the North's army while they were caught in the thick of the wilderness. Through overwhelming odds, Lee came out of the fight victorious. This battle is known as one of the confederate general's most incredable victories of the war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfSmKIpi3tM (Battle of Chancellorsville-Youtube) -
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Vicksburg
Ulysses S. Grants armies converge around Vicksburg, trapping the Confederate army inside, commanded by Leutenant General John Pemberton. On July 4th, the southern army surrendered. With the loss of this vital town along the Mississippi, the Confederacy was nearly cut in half. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDlXA5SBZM (Battle of Vicksburg-Youtube) -
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Gettysburg
Lee's posts his men around the small town of Gettysburg waiting for the Union General Meade's forces to arrive. Meade was surprised as the Confederate troops exploited a weak point in his line and pushed straight through. The next day, Lee attacked six key points under Union control. The final day of fighting resulted in the horribly planned Pickett's Charge, that caused the overly-proud Confederate General Lee to lose his footing, ultimately losing him another chance at invading the north. -
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Chattanooga
After gaining troops from other armies, Grant hoped to reclaim Chattanooga from the confederate army. Through many strategic victories, Grant opened up a line to the south allowing for the entry of the Union army. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37boau3WjdI (Battle of Chattanooga-Youtube) -
Grant promoted to Lt. General
With Ulysses Grant's promotion, he was allowed complete control over the Union army. This allowed him to plan his fights on a much larger scale. -
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Battle of the Wilderness
The union army bumped heads with the confederates for a second time in an area in Northern Virginia known at the time as Spotsylvania. Fighting continued for two days, but in the end, the badly battered Union army continued to head deeper into the south. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agtftmaMo_0 (Battle of the Wilderness-Youtube) -
Lee Surrenders
After being battered by Union troops in Appomattox, General Lee decided to surrender himself and his armies to General Grant. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
Only four days after Lee's surrender, President Abraham Lincoln was shot at the Ford's theater in Washington D.C. by John Wilkes Booth. Booth was an actor, but also a confederate sympathizer. While Lincoln viewed "Our American Cousin", Booth snuck up behind him, and fired a bullet which lodged behind his right eye. Lincoln died the next day at 7:22 a.m.
