Election of 1860
November 6th, 1860
The Election of 1860 was the 19th presidential election in the United States. The Election included Abraham Lincoln (Republican), John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrats), John Bell (Constitutional Union), and Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrats). It resulted with Abraham Lincoln winning the election and helped fuel southern states to secede from the Union.



South Carolina secedes
December 20th, 1860
After Lincoln was elected President after the Election of 1860, South Carolina called for a convention that would decide if the state should secede from the union. They made their decision to secede from the union because of issues with states rights, tariffs, and slavery. On December 20th, 1860 the South Carolina legislature issued an ordinance that said they were no longer apart of the union. The Convention was held in Montgomery, Alabama. Because of the secession, it made South Carolina the first of 11 states to secede from the union.

Confederate States of America formed
February 9th, 1861
Once South Carolina seceded from the union, many more states would follow. On February 9th, 1861 the states that seceded from the union would go on to create the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis of Missouri became their President with Alexander Stephens as the Vice-President. The first capital for the newly formed Confederacy was in Montgomery, Alabama. Because of the formation of the CSA, The United States of America was now divided.



Lincoln’s First Inauguration
March 4th, 1861
Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th President of the United States on March 4th, 1861. His inauguration was held in Washington D.C and this event was significant because he was the new President of a divided United States. Lincoln did his best to stress the importance of preserving the Union and didn’t want to start a war.









Battle of Fort Sumter
April 12th, 1861
Fort Sumter, a federal outpost in Charleston, South Carolina was attacked by Confederate troops. Robert Anderson of the U.S. Army was the Major who was in control of the fort until Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard attacked and bombarded the fort which would begin the Civil War. The Fort would surrender and would be captured by the Confederates which resulted in a Confederate victory. The Confederate States of America were determined to seize the fort and use it to control the entrance to the Charleston harbor.



Virginia secedes
April 17th, 1861
After the Battle of Fort Sumter, Virginia held a state convention to deal with the secession crisis in the United States. When Lincoln had troops go to put down the rebellion when Fort Sumter was captured, the opinions of Virginia shifted drastically. So on March 17th, 1861, the Virginia secession convention was held in Richmond, Virginia and they voted that the state should leave the union and join the CSA.









Lincoln issues blockade of Southern ports
April 19th, 1861
On April 19th, 1861 Lincoln issued a blockade of southern ports after the U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward recommended the action. The blockade was a naval strategy that would prevent the CSA from trading. The blockade is very significant because it was an important economic policy the US adopted that successfully prevented the CSA from trading. The US also convinced foreign governments to stop/slow down trade with the CSA.



Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
April 27th, 1861
President Lincoln suspended the Habeas Corpus on April 27th, 1861 which was a very big decision for Lincoln to make. The whole point of Habeas Corpus allowed people who were arrested to go to court so they were not falsely accused of whatever crime they were arrested for. Lincoln defended himself by stating that the acts to remove Habeas Corpus are necessary in due to rebellion during the Civil War.



First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas)
July 21st, 1861
On July 21st in 1861, Winfield Scott, Irvin McDowell, and Robert Patterson of the U.S. Army would fight against P. G. T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston of the C.S. Army in Prince William County, Virginia. It would be known as the first major battle of the Civil War and resulted in a Confederate victory and would end any thoughts of quick victory for either side of the war.



Forts Henry and Donelson
February 6th-16th, 1862
On February 6th, 1862 the Battle of Fort Henry started in Tennessee. It also was an important first victory for the Union under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant who fought against General Lloyd Tilghman of the CSA. After fighting each other the Fort would surrender which opened the Tennessee River to Union south of Alabama.



Merrimac and Monitor
March 8th-9th, 1862
On March 8th-9th, 1862, The Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack was an important naval battle fought between Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough and Captain John Marston of the Union against Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan of the Confederacy near Hampton Roads, Virginia. But in the end there was no victor. The battle is significant because it was the CSA’s effort to break the Union blockade on them to stop them from trading.





Peninsular Campaign begins
March of 1862
The Peninsular Campaign was a Union operation launched in the Virginia Peninsula from March to July of 1862. The operation was led by Major General George B. McClellan of the US. It was meant to turn the movement against the Confederate Army in Northern Virginia to capture the CSA capital of Richmond, Virginia. The campaign was a failure for the Union. It made the Confederates the victor of the campaign and forced the Union to withdraw from the Peninsula.

Battle of Shiloh
April 6th-7th, 1862
The Battle of Shiloh was fought through April 6th-7th in 1862 in Tennessee. Major General Ulysses S. Grant moved his army through the Tennessee River but was encamped. Confederate armies under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard decided to attack Grant’s army while they were encamped. The attacked failed leaving Johnston dead and made the Union victorious. The battle is significant because it was the bloodiest battle up to that point and allowed the Union to expand its controlled areas and would soon give Tennessee to the North.





Battle of New Orleans
April 24th, 1862
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on April 24th, 1862 in Louisiana. It was a naval battle by Union forces that tried to capture the city. A navy under the command of Admiral David G. Farragut started the attack. Confederate General Mansfield Lovell withdrew his troops from the city and so the city fell into Union hands on April 25th. The loss of New Orleans was one of the worst losses for the CSA because it was a major turning point in the war because of the capture of it and made it a Union victory.

Battle of Seven Pines
May 31st, 1862
On May 31st of 1862, The Battle of Seven Pines started in Virginia which was apart of the Peninsular Campaign. The Battle was made up of the Union army under Major General George B. McClellan against a Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston who was wounded in the battle. There was no victor, both sides claimed to be victorious even though both sides lost a lot of men which makes the battle debatable who won. The Battle of Seven Pines marked the closest Union forces came to taking the Confederate capital of Richmond in the Peninsular Campaign.









Second Battle of Bull Run
August 29th-30th, 1862
The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought through August 29th-30th in 1862 in Virginia. The Battle was fought between Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army against Union Major General John Pope’s army. The attacks in the battle were left with heavy casualties on both sides. The Pope’s left flank was crushed by a counter attack by Confederates which forced his army to retreat. The Confederates were the victors in this battle. The battle is significant because it was the second time the battle was fought at the same place.





Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)
September 17th, 1862
The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17th in 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The battle was the first engagement in the Eastern theater of the war to take place inside the Union's borders. The Battle was fought between Confederate General Robert E. Lee against Union Major General George B. McClellan. It was the bloodiest battles in the war and had no clear victor.



Battle of Fredericksburg
December 13th, 1862
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 13th in 1862 near Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army and the Union Army commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside. Burnside's attacks on December 13th against Confederate soldiers was disastrous because of the Union casualties compared to the Confederate casualties. The Battle was a Confederate Victory and forced the Union army to retreat.



Emancipation Proclamation
January 1st, 1863
On January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The purpose of the proclamation is that it freed slaves in areas of the South from slave states to free states. It’s significant because it included abolition as a purpose for the Civil War, caused slaves to become free slaves in CSA states and also allowed free slaves to join the Union army.















U.S. Congress enacts a draft
March 3rd, 1863
On March 3rd, 1863 Congress passed a draft that would force all young adult males who were eligible to be drafted in the United States due to decline in enlistments. But people could find a way out of this by hiring someone else to go in his place or paying the US government a fee. The draft is significant because it increased the number of troops the Union had to fight the CSA.













Battle of Chancellorsville
May 1st-4th, 1863
The Battle of Chancellorsville was fought from May 1st-4th in 1863. It was a Confederate Victory which stopped an attempted flank by Major General Joseph Hooker’s Army against General Robert E. Lee’s Army. Even though the Confederates were the victors of this battle, they lost a great general known as Lieutenant General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson who was shot by his own soldiers who mistakened him as the enemy.



Battle of Gettysburg
July 1st-3rd, 1863
Through July 1st to the 3rd, in 1863, The Battle of Gettysburg took place in Pennsylvania. Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched his second invasion against the US. He was pursued by Union General Joseph Hooker and General George Meade because of this they collided at Gettysburg. On July 3rd, Lee attacked the Union army on Cemetery Ridge in what became known as Pickett’s Charge. In the end an estimated 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured after the end of Gettysburg but it was a 	 in the end.





Vicksburg surrenders
July 4th, 1863
The Battle of Vicksburg was fought on July 4th, 1863 in Mississippi. The People involved in this battle are Major General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton. This Battle Involved 75,000 Union soldiers and 34,000 Confederate soldiers.The Union army trapped the Confederate general in Vicksburg. This battle's outcome ended up with the Union winning and the Confederate surrendering. It was a turning point in the war because it cut off the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas from the rest of the Confederacy for the rest of the war.



Battle at Fort Wagner
July 18th, 1863
The Battle for Fort Wagner took place on July 18th in 1863 in South Carolina. It was fought between Union troops under Brigadier General Quincy Gillmore who launched the unsuccessful attack on the Fort which was under command of Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. The battle was a Confederate Victory and is significant because African American soldiers were used in the battle.





Battle of Chickamauga
September 19th-20th, 1863
The Battle of Chickamauga took place through September 19th-20th in 1863 in Georgia. The battle was fought between the Union under Major General William Rosecrans and the Confederates under General Braxton Bragg. The battle was a Confederate victory due to exploiting gaps in the Union Line. The battle was significant because it caused huge losses for the Union.







Gettysburg Address
November 19th, 1863
On November 19th, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Lincoln used his speech to talk about the principles of human equality written in the Declaration of Independence which helped with abolishing slavery and claimed the Civil War was not only a struggle for the preservation of the Union but as “a new birth of freedom” that would bring equality to all of the Union's citizens.

Battle of Chattanooga
November 23rd-25th, 1863



Battle of Cold Harbor
June 3rd, 1864
The Battle of Cold Harbor took place on June 3rd in 1864 near Mechanicsville, Virginia. Union General Ulysses S. Grant fought against Confederate General Robert E. Lee in this battle. It was one of the final battles of Grant’s Campaign and is one of the bloodiest battles throughout the war. Union soldiers were killed or wounded in an assault against Lee’s fortified positions. The Battle became a Confederate Victory and was significant since it was one of the last battles of Grant’s Overland Campaign.





Battle of Petersburg, VA
June 15th, 1864
The Battle of Petersburg was fought on June 15th, 1864 in Petersburg Virginia. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant tried to capture Petersburg before Robert E. Lee’s army came to help the Confederate controlled city. Grant’s army repeatedly assaulted the small forces of General P.G.T. Beauregard. Because Grant could not take the city, Lee’s reinforcements arrived in time to support the other Confederates and because of the failure to capture the city the Confederates were the victors of the battle but it would begin the 10 month Siege of Petersburg.





Surrender of Atlanta, GA
September 2nd, 1864
The Surrender of Atlanta, Georgia was on September 2nd, 1864. James Calhoun who was the Mayor of Atlanta surrendered the city to General Sherman of the US. After the surrender of Atlanta Georgia it would soon become the place where Sherman's army would go from to begin his “March to the Sea”.



Shenandoah Valley
October 19th, 1864
On October 19th, 1864, the Battle of Cedar Creek was fought. It was apart of the many battles of the Valley Campaigns in 1864. The Battle was fought between Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early launched an attack against Major General Philip Sheridan of the US. Because this battle would make make the United States the victor. It is significant because it ended the final Confederate invasion of the North.





Lincoln reelected
November 8th, 1864
On November 9th, 1864 the United States Presidential Election of 1864 was held and included President Abraham Lincoln as a Republican who ran for re-election against George B. McClellan as a Democrat. Lincoln won the popular vote and the Electoral College and was became reelected.



March to the Sea
November 15th, 1864
On November 15th, 1864 Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army began his campaign through Georgia. It also known as the Savannah Campaign. It began after the capturing of Atlanta, Georgia on November 15th. It ended after his army captured the port of Savannah on December 21st. This campaign is significant because his forces focused on destroying the Confederate States of America’s industry and infrastructure which heavily hurt the Confederacy’s economy.





Battle of Nashville
December 15th-16th, 1864
Through December 15th-16th, 1864 the Battle of Nashville was fought in Nashville, Tennessee. It was apart of a campaign that represented to hopefully end fighting west of the coastal states so the Union armies could focus towards the east. The Battle was between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood and Union forces under Major General George H. Thomas. It is significant because it was one of the largest victories achieved by the Union Army.















13th Amendment
January 31st, 1865
On January 31st, 1865, the House of Representatives passed the 13th amendment. Later on Secretary of State William H. Seward announced its adoption as the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution. It is significant because it abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.



Lincoln’s Second Inauguration
March 4th, 1865
Once again Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the President of the United states on March 4th, 1865. His inauguration was held in Washington, D.C. and it was significant because not only did he become a 2 time President, but Lincoln did his best to include in the theme of his speech the cause of the war in his opinion, slavery and included his thoughts on the question of Divine providence.















Battle of Appomattox Courthouse
April 9th, 1865
The Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia was the location of the Battle of Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th, 1865. It was one of the last battles in the Civil War. The battle would be Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s final engagement before surrendering to the Union Army under Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. The battle started after Lee and his army abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia and the Siege of Petersburg and headed west hoping to join with other Confederate forces. It became a decisive Union victory because it was the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and General Robert E. Lee.





Lincoln assassinated
April 14th, 1865
As the Civil War was coming close to ending, President Abraham Lincoln went to Ford’s Theatre to watch Our American Cousin on April 14th, 1865. Little did he know John Wilkes Booth was planning to assassinate the President and successfully did assassinate Lincoln.