US in the 19th century: The American Civil War

  • GB adopted a compromise position

    Whilst not recognising the confederacy as a separate sovereign state, Britain did recognise it as 'belligerent status'
  • The Trent Affair

    Captain Charles Wilkes intercepted the British mail packer RMS Trent and captured 2 confederate envoys
  • Battle of First Manassas

    Confederate generals Beauregard and Joe Johnston beat union forces lead by George McDowell. Confederate casualties reached 2000 and union casualties reached 3000. Beauregard could've marched to DC and could've potentially won the war but his army was disorganised and short of supplies so was in no condition to attack
  • Initiative now favours union

    David replaces Beauregard with General Bragg, New Orleans captured by Union. The Peninsula campaign
  • The Anaconda Plan

    General Winfield Scott's naval blockade of Atlantic and Golf Port (180+) and about 3,500 miles of coastline
  • The civil war began

    Confederate forces opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter
  • Battle of Shiloh

    Key battle in the west. General Grant's forces nearly destroyed by General Johnston but saved when General Buell's forces arrived. Johnston killed and Beauregard takes command and retreats. The first battle to show how big the casualties would be: 10,600 for union and 13,000 for confederacy
  • The Seven Days

    Lee's disjointed attacks and defective command structure cost him a victory. Confederacy lost 20,614 and the union lost 15,849 men
  • Battle of Second Manassas

    Pope and McClellan attack Johnston but get defeated by Lee's forces. Lincoln reluctantly re-appointed McClellan as commander in chief.
  • Battle of Antietam

    Single bloodiest day of the war so far, union lost 12,000 and Lee lost 11,000. Lee's failure to win a decisive victory meant there was little chance of British intervention
  • Battle of Fredericksburg

    On the 13th of December, Burnside launched a series of suicidal attacks that lost 11,000 men. Lee lost less than 5,000 men
  • Lincoln publicly issued Emancipation Proclamation

  • Lincoln replaces Burnside with Hooker

    And the first black regiment in the North was created
  • Lincoln signs the conscription act