Civil War Timeline Description

1787- In 1787, the United States Constitution was ratified. After much debate, the Constitution
indicated that slaves would be counted as only three-fifths of a person. The Constitution gave no
rights of citizenship to the slaves.
1852 In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Toms Cabin. Harriet was an abolitionist and
wrote about the life of the African American slaves. This novel unified other abolitionists and
propelled anti-slavery forces. It angered many slave owners in the south because it exposed their
inhumane-like treatment of the slaves.
1860 In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the United States of America.
Although many slave states in the south didnt support him, he had an immense amount of
support from the northern states. As soon as he was elected, seven southern states formed the
Confederate States of America because of his vision to stop slavery from spreading.
April 12, 1861 In 1861, the south attacked Fort Sumter. The north was not prepared to fight an
equal battle and didnt return fire until two hours later. The battle lasted for about 34 hours when
the north surrendered. This was the battle that started the Civil War!
April 19, 1861 In 1861, Abraham Lincoln announced the Union Blockade. This was an effort
to stop any supplies from entering or leaving the southern states. The Union Blockade was part
of something called the Anaconda Plan created by Union General Winfield Scott. He believed
that the army with the most abundant supplies would win the war. To put the blockade into
motion, the Union sent about 500 ships to patrol the East Coast.
January 1, 1863 In 1863, Abraham Lincoln ordered the Emancipation Proclamation which
freed the slaves. However, it only freed the slaves that lived in the Confederate States and not
those under Union control. Not all slaves were free because the order had limitations. Although
the Emancipation Proclamation didnt free all slaves right away, it was very clear that all slaves
should and would soon be set free.
July 1, 1863 In July of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred which was one of the most
important battles in the Civil War. Robert E. Lee attempted to defeat the Union Army. However,
the Union lines held their ground resulting in their retreat. This was the deadliest battle of the
entire war with 46,000 casualties and about 8,000 deaths.
April 9, 1865 The Civil War ended. General Lee surrendered to General Grant because the
Confederate Army was low on supplies and outnumbered by the Union Army. He surrendered at
the McLean house in Appomattox, Virginia.
April 14, 1865 Days after the Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated
by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln and his wife attended a play where John Wilkes Booth entered
his booth and shot him in the back of his head. He was the very first president to be assassinated.

Resources:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abrahamlincoln
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html
http://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_war/union_blockade.php
http://www.ducksters.com/history/emancipation_proclamation.php
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-civil-war-ends
http://www.history.com/topics/abraham-lincoln-assassination