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United States Civil War
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Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln of Illonois wins the 1860 Presidential Election by receiving 180 electoral votes. Lincoln won 39% of the popular vote and became the Chief of Party for the Republicans. -
South Carolina was the First State to Seceed from the Union
After Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the actions that Abraham Lincoln was going to take about the issue of slavery was vivid. Since the south felt they were losing all of their power, South Carolina was the first state to seceed and take action. -
Confederate States of America was Formed
States that didn't agree with the American government and seceeded from the United States of America. They decided to form their own country, known as the Confederate States of America. -
Jefferson Davis was Chosen for President of the Confederate States of America
Jefferson Davis of Kentucky, born in 1808, attended the University of West Point. He was a representative of Mississippi in the State Senate before resigning to become the President of the Confederacy. -
Lincoln Sworn into Presidency
Abraham Lincoln was officially sword into presidency on March 4th, 1861. -
Davis Declares War
During the attack at Fort Sumter, Jefferson Davis demanded the surrender of the fort. President Lincoln refused. With that, Davis became the aggressor and declared war on April 12th, 1861. -
Lincoln Issues a Proclamation
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation calling for 75,000 military men. -
Virginia Secedes from the Union
Virginia leaves the Union and joins the Confederate States of America because they are unwilling to fight against the southern states. -
Lincoln Issues a Blockade Proclamation
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports. For the duration of the war, this blockade limits the rural economy with trade. -
The First Battle of Bull Run
At a creek just outside of Washington D.C, 30,000 union troops were moving toward Richmond when this battle began. At this point, the Union troops were disorganized and couldn't make an advancement through the Confederate Army. The Confederates won this battle and it gave them a morale booster. -
George McClellan Appointed Commander
President Lincoln appoints George McClellan as Commander of the Department of the Potomac. -
McClellan Appointed as General-In-Chief
President Lincoln appointed McClellan as General-In-Chief of all the Union forces after the resignation of Winfield Scott. -
General War Order No. 1
President Lincoln issues the General War Order No. 1 that calls for all U.S. naval and land forces to begin an advance by February 22nd. -
General Grant Invades West Tennessee
General Ulysses S. Grant invaded West Tennessee. -
General Grant Captures Two Forts
In 11 days with the help of four ironclad gun boats, Grant's forces capture two forts: Fort Henry on the Tennessee River and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River. The Confederate leader petitioned for surrender but Grant would only accept an "Unconditional Surrender:". This is where he earned his nicknname. -
Lincoln is Grief-Stricken
President Lincoln is grief-stricken after the fact that his 11 year old son, Willie, had passed away. -
Merrimac Sinks 2 Ships
The Confederate Ironclad "Merrimac" sinks two Union ships and then battles the Union Ironclad "Monitor" to a draw. -
Shiloh
Grant gathers troops near a church in Tennessee named Shiloh. Confederates take Grant by surprise early in the morning. Grant reorganizes and counterattacks by dawn the next day and pushes back the Confederates. -
Union Campaign
The beginning of a massive, coordinated campaign involving all the Union Armies. In Virginia, Grant with an Army of 120,000 begins advancing toward Richmond to engage Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. -
Antietam, Maryland
This was the bloodiest single day battle in the whole Civil War. There was more than 26,000 casualties. General Ambrose Burnside had a military blunder with the river crossing. 500 men died in less than 10 minutes. -
Lincoln Fires McClellan
President Lincoln decides to fire McClellan because he was not as attentive and informative as Lincoln needed him to be for the success of the Union in the Civil War. -
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issued a preliminary Emanipation Proclamation which would free slaves. -
Lincoln Visits McClellan
President Lincoln visited General McClellan at Antietam, Maryland. -
Lincoln Hires General Burnside
President Lincoln replaced General McClellan with General Ambrose Burnside as the new commander of the army of the Potomac. -
Fredericksburg
Army of the Potomac, under General Burnside, suffers a costly defeat at Fredericksburg in Virginia with a loss of 12,653 soldiers. -
Final Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in lands held by the Confederacy. He encouraged the enlisting of black Americans into the Union Army. -
General Joseph Hooker Appointed
President Lincoln appointed General Joseph Hooker as Commander of the Potomac Army to replace Burnside; -
General Grant Ordered to Capture Vicksburg
General Ulysses S. Grant was placed as Commander of the Army of the West with orders to capture Vicksburg, MIssissippi. -
Congress Enacts a Draft
Congress enacts a draft which affected male citizens aged 20 to 45, but also exempts those who pay $300 or provide a substitute. -
Chancelorsville
The Union Army, under General Hooker, was defeated by the Confederate Army, under General Lee, at the Battle of Chancelorsville, Virginia because of Lee's clever tactics. -
Stonewall Jackson Wounded
General Stonewall Jackson of the Confederacy was shot and mortally wounded by his own soldiers by accident. -
Stonewall Jackson Dies
The South suffers a loss as Stonewall Jackson dies of his initial wound at Chancelorsville. His last words were, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." -
Lee Invades the North
General Lee launches his second invasion of the North, heading into Pennsylvania. -
General Meade Appointed as Commander
President Lincoln appointed General Meade as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing General Hooker. Meade was the fifth math to Command the Army in less than a year. -
The Battle of Gettysburg Begins
The turning point of the war, against the South, as the Confederates are defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. -
Vicksburg
Vicksburg, which was the last Confederate stronghold, surrendered to General Grant after a six week siege. This caused the Confederacy to split in two and be cut off from western allies. -
Anti-Draft Riots in New York
Anti-draft riots broke out in New York City. About 120 people were killed and 2 million dollars of damaged were caused by the riot. -
Colonel Robert Shaw
Black American troops of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment under Colonel Robert G. Shaw assault fortified Rebels at Fort Wagner, South Carolina. Colonel Shaw and half of the 600 men in the regiment are killed. -
Frederick Douglass
The president meets with abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who pushes for full equality for Union Black American troops. -
Pro-Confederate Raid
At the location of Lawrence, Kansas, William Quantrill and 450 pro-slavery followers raid the town and kill 182 boys and men. -
Chickamauga
A Confederate Victory by General Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Chickamauga, leaving General Rosecran's Union Army trapped in Chattanooga. -
Grant Appointed to Command All Western Territories
Lincoln appointed Grant to command all of the Western territories and operations. -
Gettysburg Address
President Lincoln delivers a two minute Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the Battlefield as a National Cemetery. -
Chattanooga
The Rebel siege of Chattanooga ends as Union forces under Grant defeat the siege army of Gen. Braxton Bragg. -
Grant Command All Union Armies
President Lincoln appoints Gen. Grant to command all of the armies of the United States. -
Union Campaign
The beginning of a massive, coordinated campaign involving all the Union Armies. In Virginia, Grant with an Army of 120,000 begins advancing toward Richmond to engage Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. -
Sherman in the West
General Sherman, with 100,000 men begins an advance toward Atlanta to engage Joseph E. Johnston's 60,000 strong Army of Tennessee. -
Cold Harbor
A costly mistake by Grant results in 7,000 Union casualties in twenty minutes during an offensive against fortified Rebels at Cold Harbor in Virginia. -
Siege at Petersburg
Union forces miss an opportunity to capture Petersburg and cut off the Confederate rail lines. As a result, a nine month siege of Petersburg begins with Grant's forces surrounding Lee. -
Dictator Mortar
The 13-inch Union mortar "Dictator" mounted on a railroad flatcar at Petersburg. Its 200-pound shells had a range of over 2 miles. -
General John Hood
At Atlanta, General Sherman's forces battle the Rebels now under the command of General John B. Hood, who replaced Johnston. -
McClellan Nominated for President
Democrats nominate George B. McClellan for president to run against Republican incumbent Abraham Lincoln. -
Atlanta is Captured
General Sherman captured Atlanta, Georgia. -
Union Victory at Shenandoah Valley
A decisive Union victory by Cavalry Gen. Philip H. Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley over Jubal Early's troops. -
Lincoln is Re-Elected as President
Abraham Lincoln is re-elected president, defeating Democrat George B. McClellan. Lincoln carries all but three states with 55 percent of the popular vote and 212 of 233 electoral votes. -
March to the Sea
After destroying Atlanta's warehouses and railroad facilities, General Sherman, with 62,000 men begins a March to the Sea. -
Hood's Army Crushed at Nashville
General Hood's Rebel Army of 23,000 is crushed at Nashville by 55,000 Federals including Black-American troops under General George H. Thomas. -
General Sherman Reached Savannah, GA
General Sherman reaches Savannah in Georgia leaving behind a 300 mile long path of destruction 60 miles wide all the way from Atlanta. He then telegraphs Lincoln, offering him the city of Savannah as a Christmas present. -
Congress Approves 13th Amendment
The U.S. Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, to abolish slavery. The amendment is then submitted to the states for ratification. -
A Peace Conference Failure
A peace conference occurs as President Lincoln meets with Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at Hampton Roads in Virginia, but the meeting ends in failure, so the war will continue. -
Inauguration for Lincoln
Inauguration ceremonies for President Lincoln in Washington begin. -
The Last Offensive Confederate Attack
The last offensive for Lee's Army of Northern Virginia begins with an attack on the center of Grant's forces at Petersburg. Four hours later the attack is broken. -
Ambrose Hill is Killed
General Grant's forces begin a general advance and break through General Lee's lines at Petersburg. Confederate General Ambrose P. Hill is killed. Lee and his men evacuate Petersburg. -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders
General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. -
Celebrations
Celebrations arose in the White House. -
Last Weary Lincoln Portrait
The final portrait of Lincoln all worn and weary from the war. -
Lincoln Enters the Confederate White House
President Lincoln tours Richmond where he enters the Confederate White House. -
Lincoln Was Shot
President Abraham Lincoln was shot in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. -
Lincoln Dies
President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 in the morning. -
Confederate Surrender to Sherman
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to Sherman near Durham in North Carolina. -
President Lincoln's Funeral Procession
President Lincoln's funeral processin on Pennsylvania Avenue. -
Booth is Killed
John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia. -
Lincoln To Rest in Illionois.
Abraham Lincoln is laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery, outside Springfield, Illinois. -
The 13th Amendment Ratified
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, is finally ratified. Slavery is abolished. -
New Freedman's Bureau Bill
New Freedman's Bureau bill passed by Congress. President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill that authorized military trial for those accused of "depriving Negroes of the Civil Rights" on the same day. -
State of Peace
The United States declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. -
Congress Overrides Johnson's Veto
Congress overrides President Andrew Johnson's veto of the Civil Rights Act. -
14th Amendment
Thirty-ninth Congress approves the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. -
Blacks Gain Right to Vote
Blacks in Washington D. C. gain the right to vote in a bill passed over President Andrew Johnson's veto. -
Tenure of Office Act
Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act, denying the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. -
Congress Admitting States in the Union
Congress passes a bill admitting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina into the Union. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas, having refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment, were refused admission into the Union. -
Amanda Kanski is Born
