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Constitutional Union Party Forms
The Constitutional Union Party was created by former Whigs who looked to avoid Southern secession. They picked John Bell as their candidate for the 1860 election. -
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Civil War Timeline
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Jefferson Davis Favors Secession
Jefferson Davis, the future President of the Confederacy, appeals towardsthe South to secede.Eventually, they do. -
Lincoln Delivers Cooper Union Speech
Before Lincoln gained political success, he gave a powerful speech in New York fighting against slavery. Due to his speech, he gained overnight success, and became the leading candidate for the Presidential Election. -
Lincoln Visits 5 Points
In New York, future Presidential candidate, Abraham Lincoln visited the Five points; widely considered the most notorious slums in all of America. This positively impacted the peoples views on him. -
First Democratic National Convention
The first Democratic National Convention was held in Charleston, South Carolina, to decide on who the Democratic candidate would be. However, they could not decide. -
Second Democratic National Convention
Due to the lack of progress from the first meeting, they held a second Democratic National Convention in Baltimore to decide the candidates. They chose John Breckinridge and Stephen Douglas. -
Presidential Candidates Are Chosen
Abraham Lincoln is chosen as the Republican candidate, and John Bell is elected as the Constitutional Union candidate. Stephen Douglas is elected for the Democrats, along with John Breckinridge. -
Wide Awake Riot
A small political group of teens, know as the Wide Awakes, rioted against Republicans in Illinois. The Wide Awakes defended heckled speakers, creating a physical dispute, involving hundreds of people. -
Lincoln Wins The Election
Abraham Lincoln wins the Presidential election with 39.7% of the votes, defeating Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell. This was one of the leading causes for the war. -
South Carolina Secedes
After Lincolns election, South Carolina, and the South felt powerless politically. They decided to form their own government. -
South Carolina Troops Seize Fort Johnson
Days after South Carolina's secession, they needed to prove to the Union that they were a force to be reckoned with. Southern states looked at this and started to think about secession. -
Mississippi Secedes From The Union
Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union. Much like South Carolina, they felt alack of power, and decided to rebel. -
Florida and Alabama Seceede
On January 10th and 11th, two more states decided to secede from the Union. With more states seceding, the pressure started growing on the North. -
Georgia Adopts Ordinance Of Secession
Georgia was the 5th state to secede from the Union. 5 days later, Georgia troops seize the U.S Arsenal in Augusta. -
Louisiana Secedes
Louisiana became the 6th state to secede from the Union. This helped influence more states to secede, while putting more stress on Lincoln and the Union. -
Jefferson Davis Is Elected Confederate President
Jefferson Davis, a senator from Mississippi, was elected the first and only President of the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was know to be a strong advocate of secession. -
Texas Secedes From Union
On February 23rd, Texas becomes the 7th state to secede. With Texas' large scale of land, and resources, they were a real powerhouse for the Confederacy. -
Lincoln Is Inaugurated Into Office
Lincoln took office on March 4th. He wanted to avoid war, but still unite the nation again. -
Union Surrenders to Confederacy at Fort Sumter
In the unofficial start of the Civil War, the Union and Confederacy faced at Fort Sumter in Charleston. No one died, but the Confederates took control of it. -
Bull Run
Bull Run was a series of battles, and is the first major battle of the war. The Confederacy won the battle, giving them confidence going on. -
Battle Of Mill Springs
Taking place in Kentucky, The Battle of Mill Springs was one of the earliest battles in the Civil War. It was also the Unions first victory. -
Union Captures Fort Henry
The capturing of Fort Henry was the first important battle that the Union won. With the surrender of Fort Henry, most of the Tennessee River was controlled by the Union -
Fort Donelson
After Uylsses S. Grants victory at Fort Henry, he and his men walked 12 miles to Fort Donelson. Grant, and about 25,000 men captured the fort from Confederate troops within 10 days of Fort Henry. -
Battle of New Bern, North Carolina
General Ambrose Burnside led the Union to another victory inside Confederate territory. The Union was opposed by a poorly trained Confederate victory, helping the Union succeed. -
Battle Of Shiloh
The Confederacy surprise attacked the Union on the morning of April 6, causing Grant and his men serious damage.However, the following day, Grant organized a counter attack on the Confederacy, ultimately leading to a Union victory. -
Battle Of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg took place in Virginia,with the Union outnumbering the Confederacy by about 9,000. However, the battle was inconclusive, resulting in a draw. -
Battle Of McDowell
The Battle of McDowell took place shortly after Williamsburg. The battle resulted in a Stonewall Jackson and Confederate victory. -
Battle Of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and is statistically the bloodiest single day in American history. Despite being considered a Union victory, both sides faced major losses. -
Lincoln Delivers Emancipation Proclamation
Just 5 days after Antietam,President Abraham Lincoln declared all slaves are now free. This infuriated the South.9 -
Lincoln Appoints Burnside As Commander Of Potomac
President Lincoln fired General McClellan from his duties as commander of the Potomac, and replaced him with Ambrose Burnside. McClellan was later accused of having the slows. -
Emancipation Proclamation Goes Into Effect
Several months after Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, it finally went into effect. All slaves were now officially free. -
Burnside Is Relieved Of Duties
General Ambrose Burnside was relieved of being the commander of The Army of the Potomac, 3 days after his failed Mud March. Major General Joseph Hooker took control. -
Lincoln Creates The Draft
Abraham Lincoln signed the Conscription Act, which instituted Americas first draft. This majorly increased the Unions numbers. -
West Virginia Votes For Emancipation
The state of West Virginia voted for gradual emancipation of all slaves. They were the first to do so. -
Battle Of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was one of the most important battles in the Civil War. Despite Robert E. Lees death just 8 days later, the Confederacy won the battle. -
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Dies
8 days after being shot in the arm via friendly fire, Jackson died of pneumonia. He earned his nickname due to his impenetrable defensive military tactics. -
Meade Takes Over For Hooker
Major General Joseph Hooker was relieved of his duties. Union Major General George G. Meade replaced Joseph Hooker as head of the Army of the Potomac. -
The Battle Of Gettysburg
This was the first and only time that the South brought the battle to the North. Spanning 3 days, the Union ended up victorious. After the affair, Robert E. Lee, Confederate general, sent in a request to resign. -
Lincoln Delivers Gettysburg Address
4 months after the battle at Gettysburg, President Lincoln delivered one of the most powerful speeches ever. He used it to try to unite the nation. -
Battle Of Lookout Mountain
The Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Union Army was victorious which helped open a gateway to the deep South. -
The Battle Of Olustee
The Battle of Olustee was fought in Baker County, Florida. The Confederates, under Joseph Finnegan, defeated the Union. -
George Custer's cavalry fights skirmishes during a raid on Albermarle County, Virginia
Despite Custer's best attempts with his Calvary, Custer and the Union lost to the Confederacy. It was known as the Battle of Rio Hill. -
Red River Expedition Begins In Louisiana
Red River Expedition was comprised of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 12 to May 22, 1864. The Confederacy won. -
Battle Of Mansfield
Confederate General Richard Taylor set up shop in Mansfield to stop the advancing Union army. At Mansfield, Taylor defeated the Union. -
Battle Of Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. Both armies faced sever losses, and resulted in an inconclusive draw. -
Sherman Begins His Atlanta Campaign
Sherman began his Atlanta campaign in May of 1864. He marched through Georgia and other Southern states. -
Battle Of Yellow Tavern
J.E.B Stuart, and his Confederate cavalry was defeated by the Union. In this battle, Stuart was mortally wounded. -
J.E.B Stuart Dies
10 days after his defeat at Yellow Tavern, J.E.B died from being mortally wounded in battle. His cavalry was one of the best that ever was. -
General McClellan Nominated For Presidential Candidate
George McClellan was voted as the 1864 Democratic party candidate for the upcoming Presidential election. He was facing Lincoln, in his quest for re-election. -
Lincoln Wins Again
In his quest for re-election of President for the United States, Abraham Lincoln succeeds. His main priority was to end the war as soon as possible. -
Fort Fisher Stormed
Fort Fisher was a fort in New Hanover County, North Carolina. There were two battles, the first won by the Confederacy, and the second by the Union. -
13th Amendment Is Passed
Several months after being passed by the Senate, the House passed the 13th amendment. The 13th amendment completely abolished slavery. -
Confederacy Appoints Secretary Of War
The Confederacy appointed John C. Breckinridge as their Secretary of War.He ran against Lincoln in the 1860 election. -
Battle Of Natural Bridge
The Battle of Natural Bridge was fought near Tallahassee, Florida, and saw a Confederate victory. With the Confederate victory, Tallahassee was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River not captured by the Union. -
Battle Of Bentonville
The Battle of Bentonville was fought near the town of Four Oaks, North Carolina. This was apart of Sherman's Carolina Campaign, and resulted in a Union victory. -
Battle Of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought near Petersburg, Virginia, and resulted in a Union victory. This helped the North control the South Side Railroad. -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant
At Appomattox Court House, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. This was one of the last battles of the Civil War, ensuring the Union to be victorious. -
President Lincoln Is Assassinated
At Ford's Theater in Washington D.C, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. This made Abraham Lincoln the first President to be murdered in office. -
Skirmish At Palmito Ranch
This was the official last battle of the Civil War. Despite the Union winning the war, the Confederacy won this skirmish. -
Henry Wirz Hanged
Henry Wirz was hanged for being a war criminal. He was the head officer of Andersonville, the worst Confederate war camp. -
Ku Klux Klan Is Formed
The KKK was a racist extremist group that was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee. The Ku Klux Klan hated African Americans, and tried to restore the white community. -
First Observation Of Lincolns Birthday
After President Lincolns untimely assassination, the country observed his birthday for the first time without him. His former Vice President, and now President, Andrew Johnson, would attend. -
Johnson Vetoes Civil Rights Bill
President Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Bill on account of it being unconstitutional. It would later return to Congress and be passed. -
State Of Peace Declared
The United States declared peace with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia,after their secession in 1860-61. The United States did this hoping to have them rejoin the USA. -
Congress Passes Civil Rights Act
After President Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act, Congress went on to override it. It gave the same rights to colored men as white men. -
Congress Approves 14th Amendment
The Thirty-Ninth Congress approved the 14th amendment joining the US Constitution. This would ensure citizenship regardless of race. However, it would not be added to the Constitution until 1868. -
Congress Creates "Admiral"
Congress created the title of Admiral. David G. Farragut was the first man to achieve the rank after his heroics of splitting the Mississippi for the Union in the Civil War. -
United States Proclaims Peace With Texas
After proclaiming peace with several other states that seceded, the U.S. proclaimed peace with Texas. -
Philadelphia Fire
When an accidental fire in a Philadelphia ship yard started, several ships used in the Civil War were burned to ash. The ships and all objects inside were destroyed. -
South Carolina Rejects 14th Amendment
Exactly 6 years after South Carolina seceded from the Union, they rejected the 14th amendment. They didn't feel that colored men deserved the same rights as whites. -
African Americans Given Right To Vote
In Washington D.C, black people were given the right to vote. The bill was passed despite President Johnson veto. -
Kentucky Rejects 14th Amendment
Kentucky rejected the 14th amendment on January 8th. The day after, Virginia also rejected it. But, the day after, New York ratified it. -
Nebraska Becomes A State
Nebraska is introduced to the United States. It is located south of South Dakota. -
Congress Passes Tenure Of Office Act
It denied the right of the President to remove officials who had been appointed with the consent of Congress. This helped make the law making system less biased towards a party. -
Alexandria, Virginia Rejects Black Votes
Alexandria, Virginia rejected thousands of votes by black people. This was illegal because blacks were guaranteed unconditional suffrage under the Reconstruction Act. -
Sheridan Assumes Command
General Philip Sheridan assumes command of the 5th Military district encompassing Louisiana and Texas. He designates New Orleans as his headquarters. -
Seward Makes Treaty With Russia For Alaska
William H. Seward signed a treaty with Russia for purchasing Alaska for 2 cents an acre. It was ratified by the Senate, and signed by Andrew Johnson. -
Congress Admits States Back Into 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. -
Edward Stanton Is Suspended
Edward Stanton was Andrew Johnson's Secretary of War. After he refused to resign, Johnson suspended him -
Transfer Ceremony Of Alaska
Several months after Russia and The United States signed a treaty where the US bought Alaska, it was finally transferred to America.It costed the US $7.2 million
