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Shots Fired on Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12–14, 1861) was the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, that started the American Civil War. Following declarations of secession by seven Southern states, South Carolina demanded that the U.S. Army abandon its facilities in Charleston Harbor. On December 26, 1860, U.S. Major Robert Anderson surreptitiously moved his small command from the indefensible Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island to Fort Sumter, a substantial fortress -
Creating The Confederacy
Eleven states secede from the Union, creating the confederacy. -
The Tide Turns
General Ambrose Burnside marched toward Richmond on December 1862 to attack Confederate General Lee's army. -
Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1, 1863, Licoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The day after the Battle Of Vicksburg ended, the city of Vicksburg Mississippi- one of the last cities on the river still in southern hands- fell to Union General Grant. Grant's victory at Vicksburg and Lee's defeat at Gettysburg were the turning points of the war, giving the Union the advantage. -
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg National Cemetery was dedicated by President Abraham Licoln a brief four months after the battle. Licoln's speech lasted only two minutes, but it went into history as the immortal Gettysburg Address. -
Battle Of Gettysburg
General Stonewall Jackson forces were outside the town of Gettysburg Pennyslvania, on July 1, 1863, when thet encountered union troops, now led by General Geogre Meade. -
Marched To The Sea
From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this “March to the Sea” was to frighten Georgia’s civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Sherman’s soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back. The Yankees were “not only fighting hostile armies, b -
Peace At Last
The war was over, but its effects lasted long afterward. Around 260,000 southerners had died, along with over 360,000 northerners, including 37,000 African Americans. -
Lee Surrenders To Grant
April 9, Grant and Lee met in a home in the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, to sign the surrender agreement .
