Civil War Timeline: Key Events and Battles (1860-1865)

When was Lincoln elected President?

November 1860

Which states attempted to secede from the United States between December 1860 and June 1861?

South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee

When was Lincoln inaugurated as President?

March 1861

What event marked the beginning of the Civil War?

Confederates bombarded and forced the surrender of Ft. Sumter in April 1861

What was the outcome of the Battle of Bull Run in July 1861?

Confederates defeated ill-prepared US troops

What incident threatened to escalate into war between the United States and Great Britain in December 1861?

The Trent affair

What significant naval battle occurred in March 1862?

The battle between Ironclads C.S.S. Virginia and U.S.S. Monitor

What happened at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862?

Grant's army was surprised but persevered to victory

Who assumed command of the Confederate army defending Richmond in June 1862?

Lee

What was the outcome of the Seven Days Battles in June-July 1862?

Lee defeated McClellan

What was the result of the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862?

Lee defeated Pope

What happened at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862?

Lee's Maryland invasion was repulsed by McClellan

What was the outcome of Burnside's attack at Fredericksburg in December 1862?

A demoralizing Union defeat

What did Lincoln issue in January 1863?

The final Emancipation Proclamation

What significant act did Congress pass in March 1863?

The Conscription Act, the first wartime military draft

What was the outcome of the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863?

Lee defeated Hooker

What state was permitted to secede from Virginia in June 1863?

West Virginia

What victories turned the military tide in July 1863?

Victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg

What event occurred due to opposition to conscription in July 1863?

The New York City Draft Riots

Who did Abraham Lincoln appoint as general in chief of all Union armies in March 1864?

Grant

What campaign did Grant conduct in May-June 1864?

The Overland Campaign

What victories raised US morale in August 1864?

Victories at Atlanta, Cedar Creek, and Mobile Bay

What was the outcome of the election in November 1864?

Lincoln was reelected in an overwhelming victory over McClellan

What significant military action began in November-December 1864?

Sherman's March to the Sea

What amendment did Congress pass in January 1865?

The Thirteenth Amendment

What happened in February 1865?

The last Confederate port of Wilmington, NC fell to US forces

When was Lincoln inaugurated for a second term?

March 1865

What event forced Confederates to evacuate Richmond in April 1865?

The breakthrough at Petersburg

When did Lee surrender the Army of Northern Virginia?

April 1865 at Appomattox

What happened to Lincoln in April 1865?

He was assassinated at Ford's Theater

What occurred between April and June 1865?

Remaining Confederate armies surrendered