Civil War Timeline

  • Compromise of 1850

    Compromise of 1850
    The Compromise of 1850 was meant to ease tensions between the North and the South by enacting a more strict Fugitive Slave Law and banning slave trade in Washington D.C.
  • Dred Scott Trial Verdict

    Dred Scott Trial Verdict
    This trial proved blacks were not free, even in free states. It was confirmation that slaves were considered property.
  • John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry

    John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
    John Brown tried to start a revolt to free the slaves and attacked the U.S. Federal Armory at Harper's Ferry.
  • Fort Sumter is Fired Upon

    Fort Sumter is Fired Upon
    Confederates attacked the fort and took it, and it was not retaken by the Union for nearly four years.
  • First Battle of Bull Run

    First Battle of Bull Run
    The Battle of Bull Run resulted in a Confederate Victory, because of an under-trained Union Army.
  • Battle of Antietam

    Battle of Antietam
    The Battle of Antietam was won by the Union, and the Emancipation Proclamation was given five days after the battle.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    Emancipation Proclamation
    Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, saying that slaves in Confederate States could be free.
  • Battle of Gettyburg

    Battle of Gettyburg
    The Battle of Gettysburg was the costliest battle of the Civil war, and destroyed the majority of the Confederate Army.
  • Siege of Vicksburg

    The Siege of Vicksburg was the final conflict of the Vicksburg campaign, and resulted in a Union victory.
  • Battle of Missionary Ridge

    The Battle of Missionary Ridge resulted in a Union Victory as part of the Chattanooga Campaign.
  • XIII Amendment

    The Thirteenth Amendment stated that slavery was Illegal in the United States.
  • Battle of Appomattox Courthouse

    The Battle of Appomattox Courthouse resulted in a Confederate Army surrender to the Federal Army of the Potomac.
  • Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

    Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, disrupting the Government and sending the country into grief.
  • Reconstruction Act of 1867

    The Reconstruction Act of 1867 stated freed men could vote and that southern states could have military administration.
  • Andrew Jackson's Impeachment

    Andrew Jackson was Impeached for the way he handled reconstruction after the Civil War and for firing his Secretary of War.
  • Election of 1876

    The Election of 1876 was the most contentious and controversial election in American history.