Civil War Timeline

By jordyn.golston

  • Northwest Ordinance 1787

    The Northwest Ordinance set up the precedent for allowing states to enter the union on good/equal terms. It outlawed slavery throughout the territory. This specific ordinance added 5 new states to the union. This event is important to history because it made sure that the new states didn't have any disagreements with each other before entering the union.

  • Louisiana Purchase 1803

    Thoms Jefferson came up with this purchase through the Louisiana Purchase Treaty from France. After Jefferson bought the territory and sent Lewis and Clark to go explore it to see if they could find the Northwest Passage. During Lewis and Clark's experience, they found the Oregon Territory instead of the Northwest Passage. This event is important to history because it secured control over the Mississippi River.

  • Missouri Compromise (1820)

    The Missouri Compromise had admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The compromise drew the 36'30 line. Missouri had requested to become a slave state but was later on threatened about it. This event was important in history because it made Missouri become a slave state and Maine as a free one, but most didn't necessarily agree with this.

  • Monroe Doctrine 1823

    The Monroe Doctrine was established by President James Monroe. He issued this document to give the European countries a certain message to not conquer Latin America. The boost of this document was depending on the British Navy, while the US powers were becoming limited. This event was important to history because the US was encouraged to re-establish the colonial claims.

  • Nullification Crisis 1830

    The Nullification Crisis was created by John Calhoun. This event gave states the right to void or proclaim taxes if they thought it would harm the states in a negative way. The Nullification Crisis was basically made to give people the right to ignore taxes that they believed were bad for them and others around them. This event was important to history because the US states had the power to nullify any taxes they wanted to.

  • Texas Annexation 1836

    During this event, Texas could not be admitted as a new state simply because of the border disagreements and slavery issues. Texas was still an independent state for almost a decade, while slavery issues were going away. If Texas had been admitted into the union as a new state, then they would've had more votes than the other states. This event is important to history because it declared independence for all.

  • Oregon Treaty 1846

    The Oregon Treaty granted the U.S control over the South of the 49th line to avoid having a war. The treaty also brought an end to the Oregon boundaries that were set. The Americans and the British had disagreements, and they led to having a negotiation that created a British-American borderline. The Oregon Treaty was important because the U.S. was ready for war towards the Westward Expansion.

  • Mexican Cession (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo) 1848

    The Mexican Cession was made up of territories that were acquired by the treaty and ended up starting the Mexican American War. It finished the event of Manifest Destiny by giving the Americans control of the land that travelled from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The peace treaty that ended the war resulted in the U.S. acquiring land from Mexico. This event was important because it ceded to the US by Mexico, and it ended the Mexican War.

  • The Compromise of 1850 (1850)

    The Compromise of 1850 admitted California into the union as a free state and had left the other states like New Mexico and Utah to decide on what themselves to be in the union. This had created a term known as the "Texas-New Mexico Boundary." This event was important to history because it helped make it easier for slaveowners to find runaway slaves under the Fugitive Slave Act.

  • Kansas - Nebraska Act 1854

    The Kansas-Nebraska proposed if Kansas and Nebraska could be a free or slave state. This act canceled out the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty North of the 36'30 line. The disagreement between pro-slavery and anti-slavery led to Bleeding Kansas and eventually led to the Republican Party. This event was important to history because it gave the two territories the decision on slavery.

  • Bleeding Kansas 1854

    Bleeding Kansas happened because of the pro-slavery and anti-slavery disagreement which resulted in violence. If they didn't let Nebraska and Kansas have a fair debate about which territory could be apart of slavery and not with slavery, then this event would have never happened. Tremendous amounts of fighting, debates, and deaths occurred during this event all because of slavery. This event was important to slavery because it fought for the legal right of slaves or nonslaves.

  • Battle of Fort Sumter (1861)

    The Battle of Fort Sumter occurred in 1861, which dealt with the confederate forces that were fired at the Union. The commander of the chief gave up on April 13th and was evacuated. The geographic factors had shaped the military and political leadership. This event was important to history because the confederates wanted to have leadership throughout the union.

  • Battle of Bull Run (1861)

    The Battle of Bull Run was known as the first major land battle that happened in Manasses, Virginia. The general of the confederate's side was Thomas Jackson. This event was important to history because it made people believe that the war would possibly end more quickly than normal battles.

  • Emancipation Proclamation 09/22/1862

    The Emancipation Proclamation was a document that didn't free the slaves, which later on Lincoln announced this to be known as "military measures". It made it almost impossible for the British because some of the people who were for slavery continued supporting the Southern Effort. This here allowed African Americans to fight in the war with the Union. This event was important to history because it led to the end of slavery.

  • Battle of Antietam (1862)

    The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest days of the war. It gave Lincoln the opportunity to continue moving forward with the Emancipation Proclamation movement. This event was important to history because it led to about 23,000 soldiers being killed during that war.

  • Presidential Reconstruction (1863-1867)

    The Presidential Reconstruction was a 10% plan created by President Abraham Lincoln before his assassination. This 10% plan basically stated that if you were apart of the election of 1860, then you had to oath into the union and accept the terms of Emancipation. Andrew Johnson took over the plan after Lincoln's death and continued to go through with the 10% plan Lincoln had started. This event was important to history because the US needed southerners that were voting to follow certain tasks.

  • Gettysburg Address 1863

    The Gettysburg Address was a speech that was given by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. He went to the battlefield of Gettysburg to dedicate his respect to the soldiers who died in the war. During his speech, he talks about the people who fought to bring the Declaration of Independence, and says, "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." This event was important to history because it showed how people respected the ones who fought on the Gettysburg battlefield.

  • Battle of Gettysburg (1863)

    The Battle of Gettysburg was the battle of them being the second and the last of invading the North. Lee tried to withdraw with Virgins. About half of the soldiers were either on the ground dead or severely injured. This event was important to history because it was the turning point of the Civil War.

  • Battle of Vicksburg (1863)

    The Battle of Vicksburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and during the battle, Vicksburg and Port Hudson eventually split up the confederacy into two parts. They gave the union power over the Mississippi River, which became the turning point in the Western Theatre. This event was important to history because it divided the confederacy which led to different conflicts throughout time.

  • Sherman's March to the Sea 1864

    Sherman's March to the Sea started from the Tennessee-Georgia borderline. Sherman mainly wanted to catch a port in Savannah Georgia, so he followed the war while marching towards the sea. This event was important to history because it destroyed people's homes and livelihoods, but it also gained them new resources to use overtime.

  • The 13th Amendment Passed (1865)

    This amendment was created by Lincoln and was basically written to end slavery. It was passed in Congres on January 1st, but wasn't ratified until later in the year in the month of December. This event was important to history because it banned slavery all around.

  • The 14th Amendment Passed (1866)

    This amendment gave citizenship to any individuals who were born in the United States. It even gave African Americans their citizenship, which led them to have equal rights and protection under the law. This event was important in history because it gave people the citizenship that they deserved.

  • Congressional Reconstruction (1867-1877)

    The Congressional Reconstruction was a plan that was passed by Republicans in Congress, and the goal of the plan was to punish the South. This plan spilt the formal district into 5 sections that were controlled by the US army. It had to grant African Americans their free rights and privileges. This event was important to history because it granted the African Americans their rights and it ratified the 14th Amendment.

  • The 15th Amendment Passed (1869)

    This amendment had given all men the right to vote, including all African American men. This event was important in history because it gave African Americans to speak about how they feel, and give them the chance at voting for what they believe in.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

    The Plessy v. Ferguson was a case that stated segregation was now illegal. The case made it illegal for segregation and discrimination to be allowed in the states. One of the quotes it had stated, "Separate but Equal," which meant that all whites and blacks are separate in their own ways but equal throughout the countries. This event was important to history because it allowed both races to become equal despite how different they are as individuals.