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Lincoln is elected President of the United States of America
Abraham won the 19th Presidential election for the United States of America on Tuesday, November 11, 1860. -
South Carolina votes to secede from the United States
The South was no longer complacent with the union and voted to secede from the union on December 20th, 1860. -
Jefferson Davis elected president of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis was elected as the first and eventually only president of the Confederate States of America on February 9th, 1861 after he withdrew from the senate. -
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor. -
Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda Plan was the strategy created by Winfield Scott to suppress the Confederates during the Civil War. -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
The decision was made to name the City of Richmond, Virginia as the new Capital of the Confederacy on May 8th, 1861. -
First Battle of Bull Run is fought
The 1st Battle of Bull Run is fought around 30 miles from Washington D.C., close enough for senators to witness it. -
The Merrimack and the Monitor fight of the Virginia coast
The Battle of Merrimack and Monitor is between the Union Ironclad Monitor and the Confederate Ironclad Merrimack. -
Battle of Shiloh
A major battle in the Civil War was fought in Southwestern Tennesee. -
Robert E. Lee is named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
Lee was given command of the main Confederate army in the east, the Army of Northern Virginia, on June 1st, 1862 -
Battle of Antietam
This Battle during the Civil War ended a Union victory and is considered a huge turning point in the war. -
Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
Lincoln subjected protestors to martial law and the suspension of habeas corpus. -
Battle of Fredericksburg
The battle of Fredericksburg was a battle during the Civil War fought in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia and ended in a Confederate victory. -
The Emancipation Proclamation is Announced
President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863. -
Battle of Chancellorsville
A major battle in the Civil War, and is considered Robert E. Lee's greatest military victory. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a three-day during the American Civil War fought between Union and Confederate forces between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. -
Confederates surrender at Vicksburg
Confederate forces at Vicksburg surrendered after holding out for more than 40 days. -
New York City draft riots
rioters went on to attacks on wealthy homes, then to the murder of African Americans. -
54th Massachusetts fighting a Second Battle of Ft. Wagner
The first regiment of African Americans from the North to serve during the Civil War, known as the 54th Massachusetts Regimen, bravely assaulted Battery Wagner in Charleston Harbor. Their bravery increased Northern efforts to enlist African Americans. -
Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in United States history at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. -
Congress passes the 13th Amendment
the Thirteenth Amendment made emancipation become national policy. -
The Battle of the Crater
between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by General Robert E. and Major General George G. Meade respectively. -
Atlanta is captured
Hood was finally forced to abandon Atlanta to Union forces on September 1, 1864 -
Abraham Lincoln defeats George McClellan to win re-election
Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan competed for the presidency in 1864. Lincoln wins reelection. -
Sherman begins his March to the Sea
The most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War begins in Atlanta -
Freedmen's Bureau is created
Congress passed an act to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners on March 3rd, 1865. -
Lincoln gives his second inaugural address
Lincoln gave his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, as the Civil War reached its final weeks. -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
Richmond, Virginia fell at the hands of the Union Army on April 2nd, 1865 -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrendered, ending the Civil War, on April 9th, 1865. -
Appomattox Court House--Surrender of Lee’s forces
The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865, was the last battle of the American Civil War. -
Lincoln Assassination
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 15, 1865. -
John Wilkes Booth is killed
Jon Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, is killed.