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Lincoln is elected President
Lincoln took office following the 1860 presidential election, in which he won a plurality of the popular vote in a four candidate field. Almost all of Lincoln's votes came from the Northern United States, as the Republicans held little appeal to voters in the Southern United States. -
Confederate States of America is formed!
The secession of South Carolina was followed by the secession of six more state Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas and the threat of secession by four more Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military garrison at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Less than two days later, the fort surrendered. No one was killed. The battle, however, started the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history. -
President Lincoln declares a blockade of Southern ports
In less than a week, the Union began its blockade of the southern states in an effort to prevent the trade of goods, supplies, and weapons between the Confederacy and other nations. -
First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
The First Battle of Bull Run cost some 3,000 Union casualties, compared with 1,750 for the Confederates. Its outcome sent northerners who had expected a quick, decisive victory reeling, and gave rejoicing southerners a false hope that they themselves could pull off a swift victory. -
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a crucial success for the Union Army, led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Army. It allowed Grant to begin a massive operation in the Mississippi Valley later that year. -
Battle of Antietam
Union victory at Antietam provided President Abraham Lincoln the opportunity he had wanted to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, making the Battle of Antietam one of the key turning points of the American Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, ended with a victory for Union General George Meade and the Army of the Potomac. The three-day battle was the bloodiest in the war, with approximately 51,000 casualties. -
Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln wrote and delivered the Gettysburg Address to commemorate a new national cemetery at Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Address's significance is that it sought to give meaning to the sacrifice of soldiers who died during the war. -
Sherman’s March to the Sea
Sherman's march frightened and appalled Southerners. It hurt morale, for civilians had believed the Confederacy could protect the home front. Sherman had terrorized the countryside; his men had destroyed all sources of food and forage and had left behind a hungry and demoralized people. -
13th amendment to Constitution
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. -
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
The message of President Lincoln's second inaugural address was short and concise. Lincoln delivered a message on the Civil War that specifically addressed why the war began, when it might end, and what reconciliation of the South should look like. -
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
Trapped by the Federals near Appomattox Court House, Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union general Ulysses S. Grant, precipitating the capitulation of other Confederate forces and leading to the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was assassinated by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the head as he watched the play, Lincoln died the following day at 7:22 am in the Petersen.