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Republican Party is formed
was founded by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential extension of slavery to the western territories. -
Kansas-Nebraska act passed
a controversial piece of legislation that organized the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed for popular sovereignty, which meant residents would vote to decide whether to allow slavery -
Abraham Lincoln elected president
Abraham Lincoln defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell to win the election of 1860 -
South Carolina secedes from the United States
South Carolina was not very happy with the election of Abraham Lincoln they left the United States out of fear of losing their slaves -
Jefferson Davis was elected President of the confederacy
General Jefferson Davis was elected President of the confederacy by the seven confederate states -
Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
This marked the beginning of the Civil War. There were zero casualties -
Richmond becomes the capital of the Confederacy
Richmond, Virginia, became the capital of the Confederate States of America, when the Confederate government relocated there from Montgomery, Alabama -
First Battle of Bull Run is Fought
Bull Run was the first full-scale battle of the Civil War. The fierce fight there forced both the North and South to face the sobering reality that the war would be long and bloody -
The Merrimac and the Monitor fight of the Virginia coast
Known as The Battle of Hampton Roads it was the first engagement of ironclad warships during the Civil War and was fought between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. -
Battle of Shiloh
also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. -
Robert E. Lee is named commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
Lee took command after the wounding of General Joseph E. Johnston during the Battle of Seven Pines. The army was also known as the Confederate Army of the Potomac before Lee's command -
New York City draft riots
the first lottery of the conscription law was held. For twenty-four hours the city remained quiet. On Monday, July 13, 1863, between 6 and 7 A.M., the five days of mayhem and bloodshed that would be known as the Civil War Draft Riots began -
Battle of Antietam
a major battle in the American Civil War near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It pitted the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee, against the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George B. McClellan. -
Lincoln suspends habeas corpus
Lincoln subjected protestors to martial law and the suspension of habeas corpus. The suspension of habeas corpus was one of Lincoln's most controversial decisions -
Battle of Fredericksburg
Fought at Fredericksburg, Virginia between the Union under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee -
Emancipation Proclimation is announced
Abraham Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation declaring that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free" -
Battle of Chancellorsville
There were two significant consequences to the Battle of Chancellorsville. First, the death of General Stonewall Jackson was devastating to the Confederate war effort. Second, the victory enabled General Lee to move north into Maryland and invade Pennsylvania -
Battle of Gettysburg
Fought in and around the town of Gettysburg Pennsylvania this battle lasted three days and involves the largest number of casualties throughout the entire war -
Confederates Surrender at Vicksburg
Vicksburg was the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River; therefore, capturing it completed the second part of the Northern strategy, the Anaconda Plan. The successful ending of the Vicksburg campaign significantly degraded the ability of the Confederacy to maintain its war effort -
Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln delivered a short speech at the close of ceremonies dedicating the battlefield cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Honoring a request to offer a few remarks, Lincoln memorialized the Union dead and highlighted the redemptive power of their sacrifice -
When was Atlanta captured
The Union victory in the largest battle of the Atlanta Campaign led to the capture of that critical Confederate city -
Abraham Lincoln beats George McClellan to win re-election
Near the end of the Civil War Lincoln easily defeated the Democratic nominee former General George B. McClellan -
Sherman Begins his march to the sea
the most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War (1861-65), began in Atlanta -
Congress passes the 13th Amendment
This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. The amendment was ratified by the states on December 6, 1865 -
Freedman’s Bureau is created
Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees” to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners, including newly freed African Americans -
Lincoln Gives his second inaugural address
as the Civil War entered its final weeks, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address from the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol. -
Richmond falls to the Union Army
The city was occupied by Union forces after Confederate officials and military personnel had evacuated -
Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House
This event marked a major turning point in the Civil War, though other Confederate forces continued to fight and surrender for several months after -
Lincoln Assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Fords Theater in Washington D.C by actor and confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. -
John Wilkes Booth is Killed
John Wilkes Booth was fatally wounded and died after being shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett of the 16th New York Cavalry, who was part of the manhunt for Booth