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Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was an effort by congress to restore peace over the issue of slavery,and also defused political confrontation resulting from the Mexican-American war. This bill mandated that California would be a free state, the fugitive slave act would become stronger and slave trade, but not slavery itself, would be banned in Washington D.C. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is published
Harriet Beecher Stowe published this anti-slavery novel which some believe helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War. This novel explored the injustices and unethical practices of Slavery in the American south. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed the people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not slavery would be allowed inside their borders.This act would effectively repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which banned slavery north of the 36'30 latitude line. As a result, the Union would fall apart and Kansas would erupt in violent clashes lasting until 1861, known as Bleeding Kansas. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision of March 6th, 1857 was the last straw that broke the camel's back leading up to the division between the North and the South. Chief justice Roger Taney stated that Dred Scott was not considered to be free even though he traveled to a free state. He also flatly expressed that blacks had "no rights which the white man was bound to respect," This decision would effectively dismiss African-Americans as citizens of the United States, as they would have no rights or freedom. -
Harper's Ferry Raid
On October 16th, 1859, American abolitionist John Brown led a small army of 18 men into this small Massachusetts town in hopes of instigating a major slave rebellion in the South. The raid on the federal arsenal killed 17 people and would ultimately fail, as John Brown would eventually be captured by the soon to be Confederate general Robert E. Lee. He would quickly be tried for treason and hanged on December 2nd. -
Abraham Lincoln is elected President
In the controversial election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln becomes the 1st Republican president. His election greatly displeased the South as he did not appear on most ballots in those states. As a result, all Southern states -beginning with South Carolina-would follow each other in seceding from the Union and form their own nation, known as the Confederacy. -
Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederate states
On February 9th of 1861, Mississippi senator Jefferson Davis became the President of the 11 Confederate states. The Confederacy was now an independent country and adopted their own constitution which was extremely similar to the U.S. constitution, with the difference being that slavery would be accepted and the African-American man was not equal to the white man. The U.S. is no longer one nation and war is inevitable at this point. -
Fort Sumter is attacked
On the night of April 12th, an army of 500 Confederate soldiers begun a siege on an unfinished U.S.fort off the South Carolina coast. The Union was unprepared for the attack with a small garrison of only 80 soldiers. By April 13th, the fort had fallen into Confederate hands, marking the end of the 1st Civil War battle. 2 days later, Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to end the Southern rebellion, the war is on. -
First Battle of Bull Run
On July 21st, the first major offensive of the Civil War took place with the Confederates commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston and the Union army commanded by General Irvin McDowell clashing at the small Bull Run river in Manassas Junction, Virginia. The Union initially pushed the rebels back and took the hold until the Confederates broke the Union right flank and forced a messy retreat back to Washington. This loss was a shock to the North and Lincoln realized that the war would drag on. -
Seven Days Battles
From June 25th to July 1st, 1862, a series of battles occured near Richmond, Virginia between the armies of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan. These battles together marked the first attempt by the Union Army to capture the Confederate capitol. The plan ultimately failed as McClellan failed to capture the major city with the Confederates emerging victorious. Similar failures happening on future occasions with McClellan not following Lincoln's orders will eventually lead to his removal. -
Battle of Antietam
Being fought on September 17th, 1862, the clash at Antietam Creek would be the single bloodiest day of battle in the Civil War. The result of the battle was tactically inconclusive although the Union came out with a victory even after losing 12,410 men as the result of once again poor strategy by General McClellan. This battle would also give President Lincoln motivation to eventually issue his famous Emancipation Proclamation later in 1863, ordering the freeing of all Southern slaves. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
Widely considered to be Robert E. Lee's greatest victory of the Civil War, the Battle of Chancellorsville lasted for 6 days with the Confederates coming out on top. A few days after the battle, however, the South would suffer a major loss as General Stonewall Jackson dies as a result of being shot by friendly fire during the battle. With Robert E. Lee losing his right hand man, Chancellorsville was probably the last major victory for the Confederates before the Union was the dominant force. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Lasting for 47 days and finally concluding on July 4th of 1863, the Union siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi was one of the most important Union victories of the entire war. Vicksburg was a key strategic position for the North and the South and after almost 2 months of battle, the Confederacy was effectively split in two and the Union took control of the Mississippi River. At this point, the Anaconda Plan was in full swing and the Union Army is now strangling the Confederates with mighty strength. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Engagement of Robert E. Lee's Confederates and George Meade's Union forces at Gettysburg would prove to be the most important one of the war. Lasting for 3 days and ending just 1 day before the end of the Vicksburg siege, the Union victory at Gettysburg would symbol Lee's last attempt to invade the North and take control of the war. As a result, Gettysburg is considered the turning point of the war. From here on out, the Union forces would ruin the Confederate's moral to fight entirely. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Beginning on November 15th of 1864 with the journey ending on December 21st, Union general William Tecumseh Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285 mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. During the march, total war ensued and almost every building in every town along the path was set on fire or destroyed, with the major Confederate city of Atlanta eventually being burned down. This march was the last straw which destroyed the Confederate's will to keep fighting. -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
By the early months of 1865, Lee's army had become completely constricted by Union forces and there was nothing they could do. Lee's original plan was to rally the remains of his beleaguered troops down south to meet reinforcements in North Carolina and continue fighting. But on April 9th, Lee formally surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union general Ulysses S. Grant, bringing the 4 year long war to a close. -
Abraham Lincoln is assassinated
Coming only 5 days after the North won the Civil War, all of the happiness for the victory and relief that the war was over would come to a tragic halt on the night of April 14th. Lincoln had attended Ford's Theatre with his wife to see the play Our American Cousin. While Lincoln was laughing at a funny line, John Wilkes Booth came up on the President from behind and shot him in the back of the head. Lincoln never regained consciousness and passed away early the next morning. -
Battle of Palmito Ranch
The final battle of the American Civil War between organized Confederate and Union forces involving casualties occured in the marshy, windswept prairies of Palmito Ranch, Texas on May 12th and 13th. The battle resulted in a Confederate victory that had zero effect on the outcome of the war and reconstruction plans. -
13th Amendment is ratified
Playing a major role in reconstruction of the United States as one nation again after the Civil War, the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6th, 1865, marking the long awaited end of slavery in America. Even though slavery was abolished completely, the rights of African-Americans in the South would still be heavily restricted under the black codes. It wasn't until the 15th amendment was ratified that black men could have the right to vote. -
Reconstruction Acts
Congress divides the former Confederacy into 5 military districts required elections in which African Americans could vote. Starting in 1868 and lasting until early 1870, all former Confederate states rejoined the Union. -
President Johnson's impeachment trial
Taking over as the 17th U.S. President after Lincoln's death, Andrew Johnson was the subject of controversy throughout his whole presidency. For one thing, he was known as a racist for his comments about how black men shouldn't have rights and freedoms, and also, he vetoed more bills than any other president in U.S. history. Finally, the pot boiled over and in March of 1868, Johnson was brought up on charges, his trial lasted until May and the U.S. Senate failed to remove him by a single vote. -
15th Amendment is ratified
For 5 years after the American Civil War ended, black men's rights were still severely limited and they were not allowed to vote or hold public office. But on March 30th of 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified by the states, which extended voting rights to all male citizens regardless of their race or previous servitude. However, it wasn't until 50 years later that women would be granted those same rights. By this time, all former Confederate states were now part of the Union again.
