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Abraham Lincoln is Elected
Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election as the Republican candidate on a platform that opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories. Although he did not appear on the ballot in ten Southern states, he secured the presidency with strong support from the North. His election alarmed Southern leaders who saw it as a direct threat to their economic interests and way of life. This moment became the catalyst for the secession of Southern states, beginning with South Carolina. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
South Carolina responded swiftly to Lincoln’s election by officially declaring its secession from the United States. State leaders claimed the federal government had violated the Constitution by refusing to protect the institution of slavery. South Carolina’s departure marked the beginning of a secession movement that would ultimately form the Confederate States of America. This decision significantly escalated tensions between the North and South, pushing the nation closer to the Civil War. -
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The Escalation
Seven Southern states formed the Confederate States of America in early 1861, electing Jefferson Davis as president. As they seized federal forts, tensions rose. Lincoln, sworn in on March 4, vowed to preserve the Union. The standoff turned violent when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in April, beginning the Civil War. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. After more than thirty hours of continuous bombardment, Union troops surrendered the fort. While no soldiers were killed during the attack, the event marked the official start of the Civil War. The battle rallied Northern public opinion, and President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. In response, four more Southern states joined the Confederacy. -
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Ramping Up the War Effort
After the attack on Fort Sumter, both the Union and Confederacy rapidly mobilized. Battles like Bull Run, Wilson’s Creek, and Shiloh revealed the war’s intensity. The Union navy began blockading Southern ports, while Robert E. Lee rose to command in the East. By summer 1862, fighting stretched across the South and into border states as both sides sought a breakthrough. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam in Maryland remains the bloodiest single day in American military history, with more than 22,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. Although the battle ended in a tactical stalemate, Union forces managed to halt General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion into Northern territory. President Lincoln used this opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, changing the nature of the war by making the abolition of slavery a central goal of the Union. -
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Bloodshed to Bold Policy
Though Antietam ended in a tactical draw, it gave Lincoln the political space to act. He issued a warning: Confederate states had until January to rejoin the Union or risk losing their enslaved labor force. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation shifted the war’s focus, redefining the conflict as a moral battle for human freedom, not just national unity. -
Emancipation Proclamation Issued
President Abraham Lincoln formally issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate-controlled states to be free. Although it did not apply to border states or areas already under Union control, the proclamation gave moral purpose to the war and signaled a turning point in national policy. It also discouraged European nations from supporting the Confederacy and encouraged thousands of formerly enslaved people to escape and join Union lines. -
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Turning the Tide
As 1863 began, the Union gained strategic ground in the West, capturing key cities like Vicksburg. Enslaved people increasingly escaped behind Union lines, and Black soldiers joined the fight. Meanwhile, Lee’s army prepared for a major offensive into the North, hoping a victory on Union soil would demoralize the North and gain foreign support. -
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Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a major Union victory and is often considered the turning point of the Civil War. Over three days of intense fighting, Union troops repelled General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania. The battle resulted in more than 50,000 total casualties and ended any hopes the Confederacy had of gaining foreign recognition. It also inspired President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, which reframed the conflict as a struggle for freedom and equality. -
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From Gettysburg to Total War
After Gettysburg, the Union stayed on the offensive. Grant was promoted to lead all Union armies and fought relentless campaigns against Lee. In the South, Sherman launched his “March to the Sea,” destroying infrastructure and morale. The Confederacy struggled with supply shortages, desertion, and internal unrest as Union forces closed in. -
Lee Surrenders at Appomattox
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, marking the effective end of the Civil War. Grant offered generous terms to encourage reconciliation, allowing Confederate soldiers to return home with their horses and personal weapons. The surrender symbolized the collapse of the Confederate cause and paved the way for the beginning of Reconstruction, a challenging period of rebuilding and redefining the United States. -
Lincoln is Assassinated
Just days after the Union victory, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln’s death shocked the nation and left the task of reunifying the country to his successor, Andrew Johnson. The assassination dramatically altered the course of Reconstruction and removed a leader who had hoped to restore the Union with compassion and unity.