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The Election of 1860
The Republican Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. He was competing against Stephan Douglas, John Breckenridge, and John Bell. He had less than 40% of the popular vote but easily won the Electoral College votes by a landslide. With his win, he became the 16th President. -
The Confederate States Form
The Confederacy formed during the Montgomery Convention on February 1861. The 7 states included were South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. They formed due to political disagreements regarding state laws and slavery. -
Jefferson Davis is the President of the CSA
Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States during the Civil War. He was president from 1861 - 1865. Before he became president, he also served in the military and represented Mississippi in the House of Representatives. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter took place on April 12th, 1861. This battle was the very first battle of the American Civil War. The conflict initially arose due to the South demanding that the North surrender the fort. The commander of the fort refused to surrender and so the fort was bombarded for around 24 hours. No one was harmed, but this marked the beginning of a very nasty war. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
The battle was between the Union and the Confederate armies. The battle took place around Manassas Junction, Virginia. This battle became known as the bloodiest battle of the entire Civil War but ended in the victory of the Confederacy. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was known as the single most casualty-ridden conflict of the entire war up to that date. The purpose of this battle was to allow Union troops to march forward onto Confederate ground and make their way more inward. The Union won this battle, and it boosted moral. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a piece of paper written by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st, 1863. It announced that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas were to be freed and given proper human rights. This was a great move, but it did not address the states that the North was still operating slavery in. -
The Battle of Vicksburg
General Grant and his army drove the Confederate army back toward the Mississippi River. They made the Confederate army retreat so much that they were forced to set up a defensive line at the fortress near Vicksburg, Mississippi. This lead to a victory for the Union army. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
This war was fought between the Union and the Confederate forces near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This battle was one of the largest scales of causalities ever known in the war, but it led to an eventual Union victory. This battle is most commonly known as the "turning point" in the war, with the North having quite the upper hand from this point forward. -
The Battle of Antietam
Antietam, one of the deadliest battles in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern region as well. It gave Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of great Union success. -
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln's famous speech is less than 275 words in length, but it defined the war. It referenced concepts of suffering and resurrection. Lincoln described the war as an arduous chapter in the global struggle for justice and liberty. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea was a Civil War event lasting from November 15 to December 21, 1864. Union General William Sherman led many troops through the state of Georgia, destroying the countryside, military buildings, and civilian properties. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This means that slavery was totally abolished in every state, with the exception of prisoners, which could be made to do free labor. -
The Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Court House marks the beginning of the country-wide transition to peace after the Civil War. This is where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant in April of 1865. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was watching a theater performance at Ford's Theatre when he was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth. John Wilkes Booth then jumped off the nosebleeds and landed on the stage screaming, "Sic semper tyrannis!" Which translates to "Thus always to tyrants!"