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Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and was published on March 20, 1852. It is an anti-slavery novel and it had a huge impact on slavery and African Americans. It had a big part in starting the Civil War because it helped Abraham Lincoln get into office. -
Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was fought on Apr 12, 1861 to Apr 13, 1861. When President Abraham Lincoln said he was going to restock the fort, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard took action immediately and the Union was forced to surrender the fort. They made it better armed and it allowed the Confederates to break the Union blockade of the Atlantic seaboard. Fort Sumter is also known for being the location where the first shots of the Civil war went off. -
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run was fought on July 21, 1861. It is known for being the first major battle of the Civil War. The Union and Confederate armies fought near Manassas Junction, Virginia. The northerners felt certain that they would win the war, but their loss made them realise that this would be a longer war than they were expecting. -
Battle of Wilson's Creek
The Battle of Wilson's Creek was fought on August 10, 1861. This battle the first big engagement of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. General Nathaniel Lyon had died in this battle making him the first Union General to die in the Civil War. The Confederates won this battle and they took control of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff was fought on October 21, 1861. The Confederates won by pushing the Union back into the Potomac River. Many drowned and others surrendered instead of dying. This battle haunted the Union for the rest of the Civil War. The Union’s defeat casted a shadow on their operations for years. -
Battle of Fort Donelson
The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11, 1862 to February 16, 1862. It was the first big Union victory in the western theater of the war. It was also a huge victory for Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. The loss of the fort was a tragedy for the Confederates. -
Battle of the Ironclads
The Battle of the Ironclads was a naval battle fought from Mar 8, 1862 to Mar 9, 1862. In this battle, they used the first ironclad ships, the CSS Virginia and the U.S.S. Monitor. It revolutionized naval warfare because it proved that wood vessels were out of date now that there were ironclads. The Ironclad CSS Virginia, destroyed two wooden-hulled warships and the battle ended in the tie. -
The Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was fought on April 6, 1862. They were able to hold off an attack by the Confederates the Union won it and they took control over the Mississippi river. It allowed Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant to begin a big military operation on it. -
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, can also be called the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, was fought on July 1, 1862. It was the final battle of the Seven Days Battles. The Confederates lost, but somehow it still managed to stop Union General George B. McClellan from moving forward. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest battle of the Civil. On September 17, 1862 the Confederates tried to invade Maryland. It was the first Confederate invasion. The Confederates invasion was regarded as one of the greatest Confederate threats to Washington, D.C. Although it may seem like the Confederates won, the Union repealed the invasion leading them to victory. -
The Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought from December 11, 1862 to December 15, 1862. They fought in houses and buildings and it was the first urban warfare in the Civil War. Many people blamed Lincoln for the Union loss because he pressured Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant to go ahead with an impossible strategy. It was a huge win for the Confederates and it restored their morales. -
Battle of Stone’s River
The Battle of Stone’s River was fought on December 31, 1862. The Battle of Stone’s River was one of the most deadliest battles in the war killing around 23,000 people. It helped create many military campaigns including capturing Chattanooga and Atlanta. -
Vicksburg
The Siege of Vicksburg was created on May 18, 1863. It allowed the Union to have full control over the Mississippi River. Around the same time, they also won the Battle of Gettysburg. These victories caused the turning point of the Civil War. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered the turning point of the Civil War. It was fought on July 1 to July 3 in 1863. When attempting to seize the North, Confederate General Robert E. Lee hoped to embarrass the enemy and convince European countries to acknowledge the Confederacy and end the war, but he failed. -
The Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga was fought from September 18, 1863 to September 20, 1863. It was the biggest Confederate victory of the western theater. Union General William S. Rosecrans wanted to capture Chattanooga, Tennessee, because it was an important rail junction and gateway to the Deep South but ended up loosing. Because of this, the Union was stuck in Chattanooga. -
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought on May 8, 1864 to May 21, 1864. This battle was apart of the Overland Campaign. The campaign lead to the Siege of Petersburg and the end of the Civil War. The battle of Spotsylvania Court House was one of the costliest battles of the campaign. -
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31, 1864 to Jun 12, 1864. This was a very bloody battle for the Union killing around 18,000 soldiers. This was also Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s last major victory. Cold Harbor was also the last battle of the Overland Campaign. -
Appomattox court house
The last battle of the Civil War was at the Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant because he wanted to prevent unnecessary destruction to the south. He realized that if they didn’t surrender, the Union would have destroyed them and he did not want that to continue. -
Lincolns assassination
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865, at the Petersen House in Washington, D.C by John Wilkes Booth. He got shot just 5 days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union ending the war. Without Lincoln, there was nobody to lead the country and rebuild after the war.
