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Confederate States of America formed
The Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis their president, and declared independence from the Union. This creates a form of government for the rebellion, and shows their seriousness. -
Abraham Lincoln Sworn-in as President of the United States
On March 4th, the man whose election pushed the Confederacy toward leaving was inaugurated in Washington, D.C. He became the 16th President, and led the country through its bloodiest war. Abraham Lincoln was hated by the southerners who thought he would definitely abolish slavery, and his election in November of 1860 was what pushed the Confederacy to form. -
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More States Join the Confederacy
Virginia secedes from the Union, followed within five weeks by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, thus forming an eleven state Confederacy with a population of 9 million, including nearly 4 million slaves. The Union will soon have 21 states and a population of over 20 million. These states defecting have a lasting effect on the war, as they provide more troops toward the Confederate's cause and weaken the Union. -
Lincoln Sets a Blockade Against Southern Ports
President Lincoln issues a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports. For the duration of the war the blockade limits the ability of the rural South to stay well supplied in its war against the industrialized North. -
Congress Issues a Call for 500,000 Men
After the Union lost Fort Sumter in what was the first skirmish of the war, Congress decided to up the size of the U.S. Military, and called for 500,000 men to join. The Union, under Grant especially, used their superior numbers throughout the war to win many battles. -
Lincoln Averts Diplomatic Crisis
Two Confederate officials sailing toward England are seized by the U.S. Navy. England, the leading world power, demands their release, threatening war. Lincoln eventually gives in and orders their release in December. "One war at a time," Lincoln remarks. Lincoln keeps the Union from facing both the Confederate states and England at the same time, and keeps the Union away from a war they can not win. -
Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves issued by President Lincoln.
After an Union win at Antietam, Lincoln decides it is time to set in motion his Emancipation Proclamation. By freeing the slaves, Lincoln puts the South into more disarray and shows his goals for after the war. -
Lincoln Issues the Final Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln issues the final Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in territories held by Confederates and emphasizes the enlisting of black soldiers in the Union Army. The war to preserve the Union now becomes a revolutionary struggle for the abolition of slavery. -
U.S. Congress Drafts Males 20 to 45
The U.S. Congress enacts a draft, affecting male citizens aged 20 to 45, but also exempts those who pay $300 or provide a substitute. "The blood of a poor man is as precious as that of the wealthy," poor Northerners complain. With the Union in need of reinforcements, Congress pushes more men to serve in the army and creates an even larger numbers advantage towards the Union. -
President Lincoln Delivers a Two Minute Gettysburg Address at a Ceremony Dedicating the Battlefield as a National Cemetery.
What may have seemed like a small speech to Lincoln and the observers at the event, turned into a historical document still studied today providing insight into the mind of Lincoln during the times of the war. -
Congress Approves the Thirteenth 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. The abolishing of slavery being a goal of Lincoln's since before Antietam, the Thirteenth Amendment's approval marks a huge win for Lincoln and the North. -
Lee Surrenders to Grant at Appomattox
Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Lee and his Army of Virginia did a lot of the fighting for the Confederacy and were the face of the Confederate military, so Lee's surrender means a lot for the Union. -
Lincoln Shot
Lincoln and his wife Mary see the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater. At 10:13 p.m., during the third act of the play, John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head. Doctors attend to the president in the theater then move him to a house across the street. He never regains consciousness. Abraham Lincoln, the face of the Union, and the President of the United States not only led the army against the Confederacy, but was in charge of Reconstruction, however, then, Johnson was POTUS. -
Remaining Confederate Forces Surrender
Over the course of May 1865, remaining Confederate forces followed the footsteps of Robert E. Lee and also surrendered to the Union. Also, each state re entered the Union. Officially, this marks the end of the war and a win for the Union. The Union also pieces itself back together and tries to start over again. -
Thirteenth Amendment is Ratified
The Thirteenth Amendment finally being ratified meant, officially, slavery was unconstitutional in the United States.
