-
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln, a republican, won the election without the support from southern states. His goal as president was to preserve the Union. -
South Carolina Secedes
In response to Lincoln's election, South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union, paving the way for severa other southern states. -
The Confederation is formed
Secession of states leads to the formation of the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy was a conservative government, led by Jefferson Davis, that supported the institution of slavery. -
U.S. Civil War Begins
Confederate troops open fire on Union troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina marking the beginning of the Civil War. -
Period: to
Civil War Battles
-
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation declared freedom to slaves in all areas of the Confederacy still in rebellion. The proclamation also kept England and France from becoming allies because they were morally against slavery. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a three day battle that ended in a Union victory and retreat by the Northern Virgina Army head Robert E. Lee. More men fought and died in this war than any other in U.S. history. It was the biggest and bloodiest and marked a turn in the war by defeat of the south. -
Period: to
Period of Reconstruction in the South
-
General Lee Surrenders
General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army. This marks the beginning to the end of the CIvil War. -
President Lincoln Assassinated
President Lincoln becomes the first president to be assassinated. He was killed by a bullet to the head at Ford's Theater in Washington DC while watching a play. The killer, John Willkes Booth, was an actor and confederate sympathizer. -
13th Amendment
Passed by congress January 31, 1865, and later redified December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment made slavery and involuntary servatude illegal everywhere, not just in rebel states. As President Lincoln's greatest contribution to our country, slavery was on the pathway to complete abolishment.
