PQ 3b

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

1861-1865 - Republican

Fort Sumter

1861

Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, was the site of the first military engagement of the American Civil War. In April 1861, after most Southern states had seceded from the Union and formed the Confederacy, tensions escalated over federal properties in the South. When Union troops, led by Major Robert Anderson, occupied Fort Sumter, Confederate forces under Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard demanded its surrender. After negotiations failed, Confederate forces opened fire on April 12, 1861. Lincoln decided to resupply his troops instead of evacuating which caused the last four states to secede from the Union. The bombardment lasted for 34 hours, and the Union garrison eventually surrendered on April 13. This led to the rest of the battles in the Civil War.

The Trent Affair

The Trent Affair was a diplomatic crisis between the United States and Britain during the Civil War. The U.S. Navy intercepted the British ship Trent and captured two Confederate diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell, who were on their way to Europe to seek support for the Confederacy. Britain protested the action as a violation of its neutrality and demanded their release. After tense negotiations, Lincoln released the diplomats, avoiding war with Britain. This was important as Lincoln was careful to ensure that Britain did not support the Confederacy. These relations could have decided Britain's stance on the war either Union or Confederate which would significantly aid whatever side chosen. The incident underscored the challenges the U.S. faced in maintaining international relations during the Civil War.

Habeas Corpus is suspended in Washington D.C. and Maryland

In 1861, during the early days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus (the right to challenge unlawful detention) in Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland to prevent Confederate sympathizers from disrupting Union efforts. This action was taken after riots broke out in Baltimore and fears grew that secessionist forces might cut off the capital from the rest of the Union. Lincoln authorized military arrests without trial without addressing congress as they were not in session, allowing the Union to detain suspected traitors and maintain order in strategically important areas. The suspension was controversial, as it limited civil liberties, but Lincoln argued it was necessary for national security during the rebellion. It also set a dangerous precedent which gave the executive a lot of power.

US Sanitary Commission created

1861

The U.S. Sanitary Commission was created in 1861 to improve the health and living conditions of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Organized by civilians and led by health professionals, it provided medical supplies, organized field hospitals, and promoted sanitation reforms to prevent disease and improve soldier welfare. While paid agents and spokesmen were male, over 200,000 women supported the commission as volunteers, working through seven thousand local auxiliaries. Despite these efforts, dysentery, typhoid, and malaria spread through the camps, as did mumps and measles, viruses that were often deadly to rural recruits. Diseases and infections killed about twice the Union soldiers than who died in combat. Confederate troops were less fortunate because the Confederate army’s health system was poorly organized. Scurvy was a special problem for southern soldiers; lacking vitamin C in their diets, they suffered muscle ailments and had low resistance to camp diseases. This is a major reason why the Confederates lost the war.

Monitor and Merrimac

1862

The Monitor and Merrimac (also known as the Virginia) were ironclad warships that famously fought in the Battle of Hampton Roads in March 1862, marking the first meeting in combat of iron-hulled warships. The Monitor, a Union vessel designed by Swedish engineer John Ericsson, was a small, revolving turret ship, while the Merrimac, a former wooden warship that had been refitted by the Confederacy with iron plating, was a formidable force. The battle ended in a stalemate, with neither ship able to decisively defeat the other, but it demonstrated the effectiveness of ironclad ships over traditional wooden warships. In addition, this was the first time two ironclads clashed. This shows the massive mechanization of warfare and industrial war which was coming with the Civil War; it was a turning point in warfare. This clash revolutionized naval warfare, signaling the end of the age of wooden warships and leading to the widespread adoption of ironclads in navies worldwide.

Homestead Act

1862

The Homestead Act was a landmark law signed by President Abraham Lincoln that provided 160 acres of public land in the western United States to settlers for a small fee, provided they improved the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops. The goal was to promote westward expansion, encourage agricultural development, and give opportunities to poor and landless Americans, including freed slaves and immigrants. The act resulted in the settlement of millions of acres, contributing to the growth of the American frontier and the establishment of new towns and communities, though it also led to conflicts with Native American tribes and environmental challenges.

Morrill Land Grant Act

1862

The Morrill Land-Grant Act was a federal law that provided states with large tracts of public land to establish colleges focused on agriculture, engineering, and military science. Sponsored by Representative Justin Morrill, the act aimed to expand higher education and make it more accessible to the working class and farmers. States could sell the land to fund the creation of colleges, which became known as land-grant colleges. The act helped to democratize education in the U.S., leading to the establishment of many universities, such as Michigan State, Iowa State, and Cornell University, and played a key role in the development of agricultural and technical education. It fostered a more efficient agriculture based economy in the Great Plains.

Pacific Railways Act

1862

The Pacific Railway Act was a key piece of legislation that authorized the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. The act granted land and provided government loans to two private companies, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad, to build a railroad connecting the eastern U.S. to the West Coast. The Union Pacific began construction in the east, while the Central Pacific started from California. The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 revolutionized transportation, facilitating westward expansion, boosting the economy, and promoting trade and settlement across the country. With the connection of the unoccupied land between tem, it created a greater Union and greater settlement as it helped populate the areas. The Pacific Railway Act played a crucial role in shaping the U.S. into a more unified and industrialized nation.

Antietam

1862

After his victory at Bull Run, General Robert E. Lee led the Confederate Army into Maryland in September 1862, hoping that a victory on Union soil would secure British recognition and support for the Confederacy. At the time, President Lincoln had restored General George McClellan to command. McClellan gained an advantage when a copy of Lee's battle plans was found by Union forces. The two armies clashed at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland, resulting in the bloodiest single day of combat in the war, with over 22,000 casualties. Lee's army was unable to break through Union lines and retreated to Virginia. While the battle was essentially a draw, it was a strategic Union success because Lee failed to achieve his objectives, and Britain and France did not offer recognition or aid to the Confederacy. Lincoln, encouraged by the outcome, used the battle as a platform to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, marking a shift in the war's focus to the abolition of slavery.

20 Negro Law

1862

The 20 Negro Law, passed by the Confederacy, was a controversial policy that exempted men from military service if they owned 20 or more slaves. The law was designed to address manpower shortages in the Confederate army by allowing wealthier plantation owners to remain at home, ostensibly to oversee their large estates and slaves, while poorer white men, who owned fewer slaves or none at all, were drafted into military service. The law was deeply unpopular among the Southern poor and fueled resentment, as it created the perception that the wealthy were avoiding the hardships of war while the common people bore the brunt of the fighting. This policy highlighted the growing class divisions within the Confederacy and contributed to internal tensions as the war dragged on. It also continued the the idea of poor mans fight in a rich mans war.

Emancipation Proclamation

1863

President Lincoln decided to use his war powers to free enslaved people in Confederate states, citing it as a "military necessity." It was also addressing the Dred Scott Case and Lincoln had to be careful with violating the 5th Amendment. After the Union victory at Antietam, because Lincoln politically needed a victory, Lincoln issued a warning that all slaves in rebellious states would be freed by January 1, 1863, and on that date, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate territory "forever free." This did not end slavery, it just said they could be free. While it did not immediately free slaves in Union-controlled or border states, the proclamation redefined the war’s purpose by adding the fight against slavery to the Union’s objectives, leading to the eventual freedom of hundreds of thousands of enslaved people who escaped to Union lines. It led to England hesitating to support the confederacy as they had already abolished slavery causing an economic disruption in the south with the export of cotton, and the 13th amendment.

54th Massachusetts is organized

1863

The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was the first African American unit to fight for the Union during the Civil War which was formed by Fredrick Douglass. Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment was composed primarily of freedmen and former slaves, and its formation marked a significant step toward the integration of African Americans into the U.S. military. The 54th became famous for its courageous assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina in July 1863, where they fought bravely despite heavy casualties, highlighting the valor and capabilities of African American soldiers. Their service helped challenge racial prejudices and paved the way for the eventual recruitment of more than 180,000 African American soldiers into the Union army by the end of the war because Congress allowed enlistment to African Americans.

National Bank Act

1863

The National Bank Act of 1863 was a key piece of legislation passed during the Civil War to stabilize and improve the U.S. banking system. It established a system of national banks, authorized by the federal government, which could issue nationally-chartered banknotes backed by the U.S. Treasury bonds. The Act aimed to create a uniform currency, eliminate state-chartered banks that issued their own currency, and strengthen the federal government’s control over the economy. It also helped finance the Union war effort by providing a more stable financial system, and tied citizens to the government for loans. This was a major financial connection from citizens to banks. The National Bank Act laid the groundwork for a modern, centralized banking system in the United States.

Enrollment Act—draft

1863

The Enrollment Act, also known as the Union Draft, was a law passed by Congress to create a national military draft during the Civil War to address manpower shortages in the Union Army. The act required all male citizens between the ages of 20 and 45 to register for potential military service, and it allowed for conscription if necessary which tapped into a large number of men to join the union army. However, men could avoid service by paying a $300 exemption fee or by finding a substitute to take their place. The draft led to widespread protests, most notably the New York City Draft Riots, where working-class citizens, particularly Irish immigrants, rebelled against the draft, protesting both the inequity of the system and the idea of fighting to end slavery. Despite the unrest, the Enrollment Act successfully bolstered the Union Army, which would eventually grow to over two million soldiers which made total war and a civilian relation.

Vicksburg

1863

The Battle of Vicksburg was a pivotal Union victory during the Civil War, led by General Ulysses S. Grant. The battle took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which was one of the last major Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi River. It was a result of the Anaconda Plan which was when the Union had a blockade from Delaware to the end of Alabama. Control of Vicksburg was crucial for the Union to complete its goal of splitting the Confederacy in two and securing full control of the river for military and supply purposes. After a prolonged siege lasting over six weeks, the Confederate forces, commanded by Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, were forced to surrender after living in caves and being starved. The victory gave the Union control of the Mississippi River, significantly weakening the Confederacy and boosting Northern morale. It was also a turning point in Grant’s career, leading to his promotion to general-in-chief of all Union armies and catching Lincoln’s attention.

Gettysburg

1863

The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the war in favor of the Union. Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched a second invasion of the North, hoping to defeat Union forces on their own soil and force a negotiated peace and to take the war to the northern population. However, Union General George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac, guarding DC, successfully repelled the Confederate assault, inflicting heavy casualties on Lee's forces, which suffered over 28,000 casualties compared to the Union's 23,000. The defeat ended Lee's invasion of the North and forced him to retreat back to the South, severely weakening them. The battle was followed by President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address in November 1863, which redefined the war as a fight not only for the Union but also for abolition. The Union victory at Gettysburg, along with the fall of Vicksburg , marked a turning point in the Civil War, shifting the war of attrition in favor of the North. It also caused COngress to start pressuring Lincoln to end the war as they saw it first hand.

New York Draft Riots

1863

The New York Draft Riots were violent protests against the Union draft during the Civil War. Triggered by the Enrollment Act, the riots were fueled by anger over the perceived unfairness of the system, particularly the provision that allowed wealthier men to avoid service by paying a $300 exemption fee. The protests were mostly led by working-class Irish immigrants, who resented being forced to fight in a war they saw as benefiting African Americans and the wealthy, while they had little to gain. The did not want to fight “Mr. Lincoln’s War.” The riots escalated into four days of violence, including attacks on African Americans, draft offices, and government buildings. The military was eventually called in to restore order, and over 100 people were killed. The riots exposed deep social, racial, and class tensions in the North and underscored the growing divisions over the war, particularly regarding the issue of emancipation.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction “10% Plan”

1863

The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, or the "10% Plan", introduced by President Abraham Lincoln in December 1863, was a lenient strategy aimed at reintegrating the Southern states back into the Union during the Civil War. It offered pardons to Southerners who took an oath of allegiance to the Union and accepted the abolition of slavery. Once 10% of the voters in a state (based on the 1860 election rolls) pledged loyalty and established a new government, the state could rejoin the Union and send representatives to Congress. Lincoln’s goal was to promote swift reconciliation and reunification, but the plan faced criticism from Radical Republicans, who felt it was too lenient and failed to protect the rights of freed African Americans. This would have also broken up the Confederacy, giving the Union a major advantage. Despite opposition, it laid the foundation for the early phases of Reconstruction.

Wade Davis Bill (pocket veto)

1864

The Wade-Davis Bill of 1864 was a proposal by two Radical Republican Congressmen, Henry Winter Davis and Benjamin Wade, for the Reconstruction of the South after the Civil War. It was much harsher than Lincoln's 10% Plan and required that 50% of a Southern state's voters take an "ironclad" loyalty oath (swearing they had never supported the Confederacy), before they could reestablish a state government. The bill also insisted on stronger protections for the rights of freed slaves. Lincoln, however, strongly disagreed with the bill’s provisions, especially its punitive approach, and pocket-vetoed it—choosing not to sign it into law and letting it die by not acting on it before Congress adjourned. The veto reflected Lincoln's preference for a more lenient and forgiving approach to Reconstruction, which would later be at odds with the more radical measures pursued by Congress after his assassination.

Sherman’s March

1864

Sherman’s March to the Sea was a devastating military campaign led by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman during the American Civil War. After capturing Atlanta, Georgia, Sherman embarked on a 300-mile march from Atlanta to the port city of Savannah. His goal was to cripple the Confederacy’s war effort by destroying infrastructure, supplies, and civilian property that supported the Confederate military. Sherman’s troops burned crops, tore up railroads, and destroyed factories, essentially engaging in total war, which aimed to break the South’s will to continue fighting. The march caused widespread destruction and terror in the South, but it significantly weakened Confederate resources and morale. Upon reaching Savannah, Sherman captured the city and then continued his march northward, further demoralizing the South. The campaign was a major Union victory and is often cited as a key factor in hastening the end of the war.

Sand Creek Massacre

The Sand Creek Massacre, in southeastern Colorado, when a U.S. Army regiment, led by Colonel John Chivington, attacked a peaceful encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans at Sand Creek. The Native Americans, including women and children, had been assured safety by the U.S. government and were under the protection of the U.S. Army, but they were violently attacked without warning. Over 150 Native Americans were killed, most of them women, children, and elderly, and their bodies were mutilated. The massacre was widely condemned, even by some within the U.S. government, and it deepened tensions between Native Americans and the U.S. government, contributing to a series of violent conflicts in the years that followed. It is considered one of the most tragic and controversial events in the history of U.S. westward expansion.

13th Amendment

Passed by Congress in 1865

The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, officially abolished slavery in the United States, freeing around 4 million enslaved people, including 3.5 million in the Confederate states and 500,000 in border states. While the U.S. Constitution had not previously banned slavery, the amendment provided a clear legal end to the institution: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime... shall exist within the United States." Although the abolition of slavery was a monumental step, it did not immediately solve the economic and political challenges faced by freed African Americans, who would continue to endure hardship and oppression for generations. Still, the amendment granted them legal protection and the possibility of freedom and rights under the U.S. Constitution, marking a significant shift in American society.

Freedmen Bureau established

1865

The Freedmen's Bureau was established in 1865 by Congress to assist formerly enslaved African Americans and poor whites in the South after the Civil War. Officially called the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, its primary goals were to provide food, shelter, medical care, and education to freedmen and refugees, helping to teach them how to live in society. It also helped negotiate labor contracts, provide legal assistance, and secure land for Black families. The bureau played a crucial role in helping African Americans transition to freedom and navigate the challenges of post-war Reconstruction but raised the question of what they are going to do with all of the freed slaves. Despite facing resistance from Southern whites and limited resources, the Freedmen's Bureau made significant contributions to the education and welfare of freedpeople, including establishing schools and hospitals. However, its effectiveness was diminished by political opposition and a lack of funding, and it was disbanded in 1872.

Robert E. Lee surrenders at the Appomattox Court House

1865

General Robert E. Lee, the symbolic leader of the confederacy, of the Confederate Army formally surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. After months of retreating and facing overwhelming Union forces, Lee realized that further resistance was futile. In a peaceful and respectful meeting, Grant offered generous terms of surrender: Confederate soldiers could return home, keeping their horses and personal belongings, and would not be prosecuted for treason. This surrender marked the collapse of the Confederacy, and though other Confederate armies would surrender in the following weeks, Appomattox is often seen as the symbolic end of the war. Lee's surrender helped set the stage for Reconstruction and the reunification of the United States.

Assassinated April 14, 1865- John Wilkes Booth

1865

On April 14, 1865, only a month after the surrender, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth, believing that Lincoln's death would revive the Confederacy's cause, shot Lincoln in the back of the head during a performance of the play Our American Cousin. Lincoln was taken to a nearby boarding house, where he died the following morning, on April 15, 1865. Booth fled the scene and went into hiding, but was tracked down by Union soldiers and killed on April 26, 1865. Lincoln's assassination shocked the nation and left the country mourning its leader just as the Civil War was coming to an end. His death also had profound implications for Reconstruction, as Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency, facing the challenge of reuniting the nation. His death put the vice president into office who was not the best at reconstruction.