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Period: to
Civil War
Civil War -
Talk of Secession
Jefferson Davis comes out in favor of secession for the first time -
Lincoln is Elected
Lincoln is elected president receiving 180 of 303 electoral votes and 40 percent of the popular vote -
South Carolina Meeting
South Carolina calls for a meeting on December 17 to decide if the state should secede from the Union -
First Southern Secedes
James Chesnut becomes the first Southerner to resign from the Senate -
Tennessee Talks Secession
Governor Harris calls for a special secession of the Tennessee legislature to consider secession -
South Carolina Decides
On December 17, South Carolina Secessionist Convention decides to secede from the Union -
Crittenden Compromise
John Crittenden proposes an idea which allowed states south of the old Missouri Compromise line to determine themselves whether they are a free or slave state -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina is the first state to secede from the Union -
Representatives Withdraw
South Carolina representatives withdraw from the U.S. House -
Charleston Telegraph
Charleston is notified by telegraph that a man of war with troops is on the way there -
Florida Secedes
Florida secedes from the Union -
Mississippi Secedes
Mississippi secedes from the Union -
Alabama Secedes
Alabama Secedes from the the Union -
Georgia Secedes
Georgia secedes from the Union -
Louisiana Secedes
Louisiana secedes from the Union -
Texas Secedes
Texas secedes from the Union -
Abraham Lincoln Becomes President
Abraham Lincoln officially becomes the 16th President of the United States of America -
Confederate Constitution Signed
The confederate states signed The Constitution of Confederate States in Alabama -
War is Declared
Civil War begins in Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 -
Anderson Surrenders at Fort Sumter
Major Anderson surrenders Fort Sumter to the south after being attacked for two days -
Virginia Secedes
Virginia secedes from the Union -
Arkansas Secedes
Arkansas secedes from the Union -
Tennessee Secedes
Tennessee secedes from the Union -
North Carolina Secedes
North Carolina is the last state to secede from the Union making 11 confederate states -
Battle of Bull Run
The first official battle of the war is at Bull Run in Virginia. The Union was very disorganization and could not make an advancement through the Confederates. Soon, the Union retreats and Confederates are to tired to follow them -
Lincoln Calls for more men
After the Battle of Bull Run, Lincoln requests 500,000 more men -
Fort Henry Captured
Grant captured Fort Henry and ten days later Fort Donelson. He later earns the nickname "Unconditional Surrender" -
Lincolns Son Dies
Lincolns 11 year old son Willie dies from a fever most likely caused by drinking polluted water in the White House -
Battle of Shiloh (Day 1)
Grant takes his men to a church in Tennessee named Shiloh. The Confederates surprise the men early in the morning. -
Battle of Shiloh (Day 2)
By the second day Grant reorganizes the troops and pushes the rebels back. 1/4 of the 100,000 men were killed there. -
Battle of Seven Pines
General Johnston's army attacks McClellan's troops in Richmond and nearly defeats them. But, Johnston is badly wounded -
Robert E. Lee
Lee gets command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia -
Seven Days
A series of battles known as the Seven Day's Battles from June 25th to July 1st. McClellan moved his men down the Potomac River where he met Lee at the peninsula of the York and James River. -
General Halleck
President Lincoln hands over the tasks of general-in-chief to General Henry W. (Old Brains) Halleck -
Antietam
Antietam was the bloodiest single day battle in United States history with more than 26,000 casualties. After this battle, Lincoln fires McClellan for having 'the slows' -
Fredricksburg
Union general Burnside tried to capture a confederate zone and suffers a horrible defeat which costs the the Union 13,000 casualites -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was delivered by Abraham Lincoln. This allowed freed African Americans to enlist in the Union army. -
First Draft
Congress enacts the first military draft in American history. This draft ordered every man to serve in the army unless they can pay the government $300 -
Chancellorville
The three day battle where Lee divides his army in order to face the Union and defeats them. The South has 13,000 casualties while the North suffered 17,000 -
Stonewall Jackson Dies
Jackson dies from wounds sustained when he was mistakenly shot by his own troops at Chancellorsville -
Gettysburg (Day 1)
The first day of this three day battle, both sides met by chance on a small farm in Pennsylvania. The shooting starts with 90,000 men under Meade's command and 75,000 men under Lee's command -
Gettysburg (Day 2)
Lee orders men to advance from Seminary Ridge to Cemetery Hill. The South pushed through the Union who forgot to leave men to guard Little Round Top which gives them a chance to take the high ground. -
Gettysburg (Day 3)
Lee thought that he could break the Union lines. Longstreet orders troops to advance but are stopped hurt by the Union Artillery. The Union never counter attacks yet Lee fears it. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Grant takes Vicksburg after a long siege leaving the Union control of the entire Mississippi River. -
Riots over Drafting
Riots breakout in New York and northern cities leaving 120 African American men, women, and children dead over the governments attempts to begin conscription -
Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania -
Grant Takes Control
Lincoln places Grant commander of all Union armies -
Virginia Campaign
Grant and 120,000 troops marched toward Richmond. As a result, over the next six weeks over 50,000 Union soldiers die -
Battle of the Wilderness
During this battle, thousands of men caught on fire and burned to death in the woods -
Battle of Spotslvania
Grant attacks Lee in Spotslvania. Grant loses more soldiers then the South but Lee is still forced to retreat -
Cold Harbor
Grant costs the Union 7,000 casualties in twenty minutes during the Rebels at Cold Harbor in Virginia -
Siege of Petersburg
The Union army misses their chance to capture Petersburg which causes a nine month siege -
Lincolns Competition
George B. McClellan for president to run against Lincoln -
Atlanta Captured
Atlanta is captured by Sherman's army -
Shenandoah Valley brings Union a Win
Union get victory in the Shenandoah Valley lead by Union General Sheridan in -
Lincolns 2nd Term
Lincoln is re-elected in the 1864 election -
13th Amendment
Congress approves the 13th amendment that will abolish slavery -
Union Captures Richmond
The Union army captures Richmond, the capital of the Confederates -
Lincolns Second Inauguration
Lincoln is sworn in for his second presidential term -
Siege of Petersburg Ends
Grant army breaks through Confederate line and makes his way toward Richmond -
Lee Surrenders
Lee surrenders to Grant in a farm house in the town of the Appomattox Court House. This will end the war -
Celebration
Celebration breaks out in Washington -
Lincoln Shot
Lincoln is shot in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth -
Lincoln Dies
Lincoln dies the next morning, Vice President Andrew Johnson will take over the presidency -
Johnston Surrenders
General Johnston surrenders in North Carolina after leading the largest Confederate army still in existence -
Slavery Abolished
The 13th amendment is ratified by the states making slavery abolished -
Civil Rights Act
United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, the first rights that protect African Americans -
Johnson Vetoes
President Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act -
Veto Overrided
Congress override President Johnson veto on the Civil Rights Act -
ASPCA
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is founded in New York Henry Bergh -
Nickel is Improved
Congress approved the minting of a nickel, removing the half dime -
Tennessee Comes Back
Tennessee is the first state allowed back into the Union -
General of Army
Congress passes legislation authorizing the rank of General of Army to Grant -
Metric Act
The Metric Act becomes a law and legalizes the use of the metric system for weights and measures in the United States -
Telegraph Expansion
Western Union Telegraph Expedition to Alaska begins its second season -
House Elections
The Republican party wins The House of Representatives elections by a landslide -
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati Ohio and Covington, Kentucky, becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world -
African American granted right to vote
African American men a granted the right to vote in the District of Columbia -
Nebraska
Nebraska is admitted as the 37th U.S. State -
Alaska is Purchased
Alaska is purchased for $7.2 million from Alexander ll of Russia -
Atlantic mine is named in Montana
The Atlantic Cable Quartz Lode mine is named in Montana -
Railroad
The first elevated railroad in the U.S. begins in New York -
First Dental School
In Boston, Harvard Dental School is established making it the first dental school in the United States -
Midway Island
United States takes control of Midway Island -
Charles Dickson
Charles Dickson gives his first public reading in a New York theater -
Train Crash
A train crash kills 49 people in New York
