-
Abraham Lincoln is elected president
Lincoln wins in a landslide against opponent Stephen Douglas. In the South, rumors of secession begin; they are afraid Lincoln will abolish slavery. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Confederates take control of a South Carolina fort. First shots of the war. -
First Battle of Bull Run/ First Battle of Mannassas
Confederate victory and first real battle of the war -
Beginnings of Anaconda
The Union successfully invades North Carolina from the sea, as they try to suffocate the south. -
Lee takes over
Robert E.Lee is granted full control of the Confederate armies. -
Battle of Shiloh
Union win the famous battle, but lose more men than the Confederates do. -
Battle of Antietam
It is an essential draw; bloodiest battle of the war and single bloodiest day in American history- more than the amount of people who died on D-Day. -
A new General appears
A new general ,'Stonewall' Jackson, appears. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issues his famous Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the South, won’t affect much until end of war. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Union forces defeat Lee at Battle of Gettysburg -
Battle of Vicksburg
Ulysses S. Grant captures Vicksburg after long siege -
Battle of the Wilderness
Long, bloody fighting between Lee and Grant in (you guessed it) wilderness, or dense forests. Union pyrrhic victory- strategic victory, but lost more men-- near Cold harbor, Grant lost 7,000 men in 20 minutes flat-- that's nearly six dead every second! -
Re-election
Lincoln is re-elected-- the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. -
Sherman's march to the Sea
Sherman reaches the Gulf of Mexico, leaving a trail of utter destruction -
End of War
Hopelessly outnumbered, Lee surrenders to Grant at Apopomattox Courthouse.