Civil War History

Battle of Gettysburg 1863

Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 1863

The Civil War history lasts between 1861 and 1865. It was a bloody war between the northern states, called the union, and the southern states, called the confederate states. During this war over 600,000 soldiers from both sides died. To understand the fundamentals of the American Civil War it is important to review the timeline of events that took place.

Civil War history begins in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. Lincoln stated that he wanted to stop the spread of slavery. This caused the southern states to secede from the union to form the Confederate States of America, which was led by Jefferson Davis.

The secession of the southern states caused President Lincoln to declare war in 1861. The first battle in Civil War history took place at Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina. During 1861 the northern states took control of the Border States and set up a naval blockade. The next major fight was at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. 1862 was also the year of the naval battle between the Monitor and Merrimack.

Battle of Antietam 1862

Battle of Antietam 1862

The next major event in Civil war history took place in 1863. This is when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and made his famous Gettysburg Address speech. At this time he made clear that freeing the slaves was a major gal of the war.

From 1863 to 1864 cities, towns, and railroads between Atlanta and Savannah were burned and destroyed. This was the most devastating time in Civil War history. During this time the advantages of the Union, such as the political organization, finance, transportation, manpower, and geography began to overwhelm the southern states.

Finally on April 9, 1865 the Confederate States gave up. General Lee surrendered to General Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, signifying the end of the American Civil War.