The civil war
Unit 8
1860-1865
1860-1865
Table of contents
1860 Lincoln is Elected
1863 Battle of Fort Wagner
1860 Southern States Secede
1863 Amnesty and Reconstruction
Unit 8
1861 Battle of Fort Sumter
1864 Sherman's March to the Sea
1861 Jefferson Davis Becomes Confederate President
1864 Lincoln Re-Elected
1865 Surrender at Appomattox
1862 The Homestead Act
1865 Lincoln Assassinated
1862 The Morrill Act
1862 Battle of Antietam
1865 Thirteenth Amendment
1863 Emancipation Proclamation
1863 Siege of Vicksburg
1863 Battle of Gettysburg
Timeline Tutorial
Click on each part of the slide to discover more about interacting with the timeline.
1787
The year the event took place, a more specific date if available and the event title will be located here.
Wikimedia Commons contributors. "Norstead - Living History Attraction - 11 September 2023." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norstead_-_Living_History_Attraction_-_11_September_2023.jpg.
September 17
The Constitution is Accepted
1860
Dividing the National Map. United States, 1860. [Cincinnati?: s.n] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661606/.
November 6
Lincoln is Elected
1860
December 20
Southern States Secede
“The Union Is Dissolved,“ 1860, Dec. 20 https://www.loc.gov/item/mss347360245/.
1861
Currier & Ives. Fort Sumter: Charleston Harbor, S.C. New york: published by currier & ives, between 1860 and 1870] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001699183/.
April 12-13
Battle of Fort Sumter
1861
November 6
Jefferson Davis Becomes President of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis. [Between 1855 and 1865] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017895893/.
1862
United States Postal Service. "Homestead Act 4c 1962 Issue." Postage stamp, 1962. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homestead_Act_4c_1962_issue.JPG
May 20
The Homestead Act
1862
Architect of the Capitol. Land Grant College. Photograph. December 7, 2011. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Land_Grant_College.jpg. a
July 2
The Morrill Act
1862
L. Prang & Co, and Thure De Thulstrup. Battle of Antietam / Thulstrup. , ca. 1887. Dec. 19. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003663827/.
September 17
The Battle of Antietam
1863
Watts, James W., 1895, Engraver, Henry Walker Herrick, and Lucius Stebbins. Reading the Emancipation Proclamation ca. 1864. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003678043/
January 1
The Emancipation Proclamation
1863
Currier & Ives. Siege and capture of Vicksburg, Miss. July 4th. [New York: published by Currier & Ives, between 1856 and 1907] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001705838/.
May 19-July 4
The Battle of Antietam
1863
Lincoln's address at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Pennsylvania Gettysburg, ca. 1905. Chicago: Sherwood Lithograph Co. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003674448/.
July 1-3
The Battle of Gettysburg
1863
Kurz & Allison. Storming Fort Wagner. Fort Wagner Morris Island South Carolina United States, ca. 1890. Chicago: Kurz & Allison-Art Publishers, Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012647346/.
July 18
The Battle of Fort Wagner
1863
Giles, J. L. , Lithographer, and Horatio Bateman. Reconstruction / eng. by J.L. Giles, N.Y.; printed by Francis Ratellier, 171 Broadway, N.Y. United States, ca. 1867. [New York: Printed by F. Ratellier, 171 Broadway, N.Y] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004665356/.
December
Amnesty and Reconstruction (10% Plan)
1864
November- December
Barnard, George N, photographer. Atlanta, Georgia. Sherman's men destroying railroad. United States, 1864. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018671360/.
Sherman's March to the Sea
1864
November 8
Lincoln Re-Elected
H.H. Lloyd & Co., Publisher. Presidential campaign, . Candidates for President and Vice-President of United States Election, Tuesday, November 8. United States, 1864. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014645211/.
1865
Cameron, John, Currier & Ives, and Alfred Whital Stern Collection Of Lincolniana Dlc. The true peace commissioners: Sheridan. Grant. Lee. Davis. Farragut. Sherman. Illinois Chicago Confederate States of America, 1864. New York: Published by Currier & Ives. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661660/.
April 9
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
1865
April 14
Lincoln Assassinated
The President Dead!. United States Boston Massachusetts Suffolk, 1865. The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000993/.
1865
December 6
Uncle Abe's valentine sent by Columbia; an envelope full of broken chains. United States New York Illinois, 1865. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, New York, 2. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000381/.
Thirteenth Amendment
Photo Caption
Former U.S. Senator Jefferson Davis was chosen to lead the new Confederate States of America.
Photo Caption
The charge of the 54th Massachusetts, led by Robert Gould Shaw, on Fort Wagner.
Photo Caption
The president and vice president candidates for the 1864 election are featured, surrounded by past presidents.
Primary Source
View of Fort Sumter, a Confederate flag flying, as part of the fort explodes.
Primary Source
The Homestead Act is passed, encouraging settlement of the West.
Photo Caption
A white Union soldier reads the Emancipation Proclamation to an enslaved family.
Photo Caption
Union troops laying siege and capturing Vicksburg.
Description Paragraph
Sherman asked for and received permission from Grant to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. On this march, Sherman deployed 62,000 troops and cut a swath of destruction 60 miles wide from Atlanta to Savannah, systematically destroying anything that could benefit the Rebel military effort. The men destroyed public buildings, railroads, and the land. They largely left individual homes intact. Sherman’s goal was to “make Georgia howl.” The March to the Sea was meant to demonstrate to Southern civilians that “they could be hurt” and that “the Confederate government was powerless to protect them.” It was also meant as a policy to end the horrific Civil War, which had killed more than 600,000 soldiers.
Description Paragraph
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, and is considered a turning point in the Civil War. It began when Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his army into Pennsylvania, hoping to win a major victory on Northern soil and force the Union to negotiate peace. The Union won the battle, forcing Lee’s army to retreat to Virginia. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the war, with over 50,000 casualties. The Union victory stopped Lee’s invasion of the North and boosted morale. It was the last time Confederate armies would launch a large-scale invasion of the North and spelled the beginning of their long-term decline. To provide a final resting place for many of these honored dead, a new cemetery was created in Gettysburg and dedicated in November of 1863, only four months after the battle. President Abraham Lincoln accepted an invitation to speak at the event, where he offered a reflection on the battle, the greater war, and principles that continue to shape American ideals to this day.
Photo Caption
This political cartoon features President Lincoln receiving a valentine full of broken chains.
Photo Caption
Armed Union officers surround Confederate General Lee and Confederate President Davis in this political cartoon about ending the war.
Primary Source
Confederate postage stamps featuring Jefferson Davis.
Primary Source
General Lee signs the surrender.
Description Paragraph
The election of 1864 was a pivotal moment during the Civil War, as President Abraham Lincoln ran for reelection against former Union General George B. McClellan, the Democratic candidate. Lincoln’s chances initially seemed uncertain due to the prolonged war and widespread dissatisfaction in the North. However, Union victories, like the capture of Atlanta by General Sherman, boosted Northern morale and support for Lincoln. McClellan campaigned on a platform of seeking peace with the Confederacy, but many voters feared this would allow the South to keep slavery. Lincoln won decisively, securing fifty-five percent of the popular vote and 212 of 233 electoral votes. His victory ensured the continuation of the Union war effort and set the stage for the abolition of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment.
Photo Caption
Sherman’s men destroying railroads in the south.
Description Paragraph
The presidential election of 1860 proved to be the most significant in the history of the United States. Four major candidates, John Bell, Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and Abraham Lincoln, ran for president in a country that was already deeply divided. The election became a mostly sectional contest, with Lincoln and Douglas vying for votes in the North, and Bell and Breckinridge competing in the South. Even though Lincoln received less than forty percent of the popular vote and was barely competitive in the south, he carried almost all the free states to win a clear majority in the Electoral College. Lincoln became the first Republican president of the United States. Southerners refused to accept him as their president. The election of 1860 led to the Civil War.
Primary Source
Sherman's troops destroying southern supply lines.
Photo Caption
A postage stamp celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Homestead Act.
Primary Source
An artist's interpretation of the assassination of President Lincoln.
Description Paragraph
In early 1861, tensions escalated as Southern states seceded following Lincoln’s election, leaving U.S. troops stationed at Fort Sumter in a standoff with Confederate forces. Outgoing President James Buchanan, slowed by doubt, only deepened the crisis, setting the stage for war. Northerners saw Fort Sumter as a symbol of the Union, national sovereignty, and defiance of the rebellion, and they wanted to hold it. Southerners saw it as a marker of the federal government’s power and hoped to take it in defiance of Yankee tyranny, to make it a glorious symbol of state sovereignty and their independence. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, the Confederate cannon opened fire and continued to bombard Fort Sumter for more than 30 hours. On April 14, 1861, the fort was formally surrendered. The next day, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men to put down the rebellion. The response was overwhelming, and many thousands of men signed up to save the Union.
Description Paragraph
Also known as Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan, this plan was introduced by President Abraham Lincoln in late 1863 during the Civil War. Its goal was to bring the Southern states back into the Union quickly and peacefully after the war. The plan offered amnesty (a pardon) to most Southerners who pledged loyalty to the Union and accepted the end of slavery. Once 10% of a state’s voters (based on the 1860 election) took this oath, the state could form a new government and rejoin the Union. The plan was lenient because Lincoln wanted to heal the nation and not punish the South harshly. However, many in Congress, especially Radical Republicans, thought it was too forgiving. They wanted stricter requirements for Southern states and more protections for freed African Americans. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, President Andrew Johnson tried to follow an even more lenient approach than Lincoln that would give very little protections for Blacks, but this led to conflicts with Congress and difficulties during Reconstruction.
Description Paragraph
The Morrill Act was a law that provided land to states to help establish colleges focused on agriculture and engineering. Each state received land to sell, and the money from those sales was used to build schools, which were called land-grant colleges. Much of this land, however, was taken from Native American tribes through treaties and forced removal. The goal of the act was to make higher education more affordable and accessible, especially for people living in rural areas. It helped improve education in the United States and supported advancements in farming and technology.
Description Paragraph
The Battle of Antietam was important because it was the bloodiest single day in American history, with over 22,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. The battle ended in a tactical draw, but it stopped Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North where his plan was to take Washington, DC. This gave the Union a much-needed boost in morale. It was also important because President Abraham Lincoln used the Union’s performance as an opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. This brought a new aspect of the war in the form of ending slavery. The retreat of Lee back South also discouraged foreign countries, like Britain and France, from supporting the Confederacy.
Description Paragraph
The Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress January 31 but not ratified until December. It was required to be ratified by the former Confederate states before they could rejoin the Union. It was this amendment that put an end to slavery in the entire Union.
Primary Source
A picture of President Abraham Lincoln.
Description Paragraph
Jefferson Davis became the president of the Confederate States of America in November 1861. Davis had been a senator and representative from Mississippi and Secretary of War under President Pierce before leading the Confederacy. He was chosen because of his experience in government and the military, and his strong support for state sovereignty and slavery. As president, Davis led the Confederacy through challenges, such as building a new government, organizing an army, and dealing with shortages of supplies.
Photo Caption
Fort Sumter as it stood in Charleston Harbor.
Description Paragraph
The Homestead Act was passed to encourage the settlement of new western frontier lands. People, including freedmen and immigrants, were encouraged to establish small, independent farms, build a home, and live on the land for at least five years. The Republicans advocated this, because it fit their vision of the founding principles of the United States. The Homestead Act sought to economically develop the resources of the American frontier. Unfortunately, for Native Americans living on this land, the Homestead Act meant relocation to reservations.
Description Paragraph
Lee's army, exhausted and outnumbered, was surrounded after a series of defeats. Grant treated the Confederates charitably. Grant’s terms of surrender were quite lenient, allowing Confederate soldiers to return home with their personal belongings, horses, and sidearms. He accorded his former enemy respect and hoped to set the stage for healing the divisions in the Union. Grant’s vision was consistent with Lincoln’s peacemaking views in his Second Inaugural Address. However, whereas some northerners wanted to reconcile and restore the Union, others wanted to punish the South for the war.
Description Paragraph
On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the proclamation in his capacity as Commander in Chief and stated the military necessity of his action. He ordered slaves freed in areas that were in rebellion against the U.S. as of January 1, 1863. He declared that the military would enforce their freedom and receive former slaves as soldiers. Upon signing the Proclamation, Lincoln affirmed that he had never felt “more certain that I was doing right.” He believed, as the Proclamation stated, this action was “warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity.” He concluded that as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, he had the power to do it.
Description Paragraph
The Siege of Vicksburg was a major Union victory in the Civil War and lasted from May 18 to July 4, 1863. Vicksburg, Mississippi, was a key city on the Mississippi River, and controlling it was crucial for the Union to gain control of the river. Union General Ulysses S. Grant led the campaign to capture Vicksburg. After several failed attacks, Grant surrounded the city, cutting it off from supplies and reinforcements. For over six weeks, the people and Confederate soldiers in Vicksburg endured constant bombardment and severe shortages of food and medicine. Facing starvation, the Confederate forces finally surrendered on July 4. This victory, along with the Union triumph at Gettysburg, marked a major turning point in the war, giving the Union full control of the Mississippi River and weakening the Confederacy significantly.
Primary Source
An 1888 artist representation of the siege of Vicksburg.
Photo Caption
This print shows Lincoln's address at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Description Paragraph
Allowing Black soldiers to join the Union army during the Civil War was controversial, as President Lincoln feared it might push loyal slave states to secede. However, by 1862, Union victories freed many enslaved people, and fewer white men were volunteering to fight. This led to the Second Confiscation and Militia Act, which allowed Black men to serve. The first regiment of African American soldiers, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, was formed in 1863, led by white Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Their bravery, particularly in the assault on Fort Wagner where Shaw and many of his men were killed, proved the courage and capability of Black soldiers.
Primary Source
Characters representing Confederate leaders are satirized as selfishly divided and driven by slavery and economic interests rather than true unity.
Primary Source
An 1888 artist's interpretation of the Battle of Antietam.
Photo Caption
An 1887 artist's representation of the Battle of Antietam.
Photo Caption
This broadside announced South Carolina’s secession from the Union.
Description Paragraph
Just days after the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Booth planned the assassination as part of a larger conspiracy to revive the Confederate cause by killing key government leaders. Lincoln died the following morning, becoming the first U.S. president to be assassinated. After shooting Lincoln, Booth fled but was captured and killed 12 days later. Lincoln’s death shocked the nation and left the country mourning the loss of a leader who had guided it through its greatest crisis.
Photo Caption
A broadside announcing President Lincoln's death.
Photo Caption
This allegorical print envisions Reconstruction by depicting the U.S. government as a grand pavilion being rebuilt on the new foundations of Justice, Liberty, and Education, overseen by military and symbolic figures, with Christ, historical icons, and former Union and Confederate leaders united under a message of equality and moral renewal.
Description Paragraph
South Carolina led the resistance to Abraham Lincoln’s election, passing an ordinance of secession in December 1860. Others soon followed, and in February 1861, representatives from seven southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to create a new government called the Confederate States of America. Lincoln insisted that he had no desire or constitutional authority to end slavery in the states where it already existed, yet war broke out in April 1861. Despite southerners’ insistence that state’s powers included the right to secede or withdraw from the Union, Lincoln and the majority of Northerners saw secession as treason, an act of rebellion. Under the Constitution, the president had the authority to put down such a rebellion.
Photo Caption
The four presidential candidates in 1860 are seen with the map of the United States. Three are tearing it apart, and one is gluing it back together.
Photo Caption
An example of a land grant college created from the Morrill Act.
Unit 8
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Transcript
The civil war
Unit 8
1860-1865
1860-1865
Table of contents
1860 Lincoln is Elected
1863 Battle of Fort Wagner
1860 Southern States Secede
1863 Amnesty and Reconstruction
Unit 8
1861 Battle of Fort Sumter
1864 Sherman's March to the Sea
1861 Jefferson Davis Becomes Confederate President
1864 Lincoln Re-Elected
1865 Surrender at Appomattox
1862 The Homestead Act
1865 Lincoln Assassinated
1862 The Morrill Act
1862 Battle of Antietam
1865 Thirteenth Amendment
1863 Emancipation Proclamation
1863 Siege of Vicksburg
1863 Battle of Gettysburg
Timeline Tutorial
Click on each part of the slide to discover more about interacting with the timeline.
1787
The year the event took place, a more specific date if available and the event title will be located here.
Wikimedia Commons contributors. "Norstead - Living History Attraction - 11 September 2023." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norstead_-_Living_History_Attraction_-_11_September_2023.jpg.
September 17
The Constitution is Accepted
1860
Dividing the National Map. United States, 1860. [Cincinnati?: s.n] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661606/.
November 6
Lincoln is Elected
1860
December 20
Southern States Secede
“The Union Is Dissolved,“ 1860, Dec. 20 https://www.loc.gov/item/mss347360245/.
1861
Currier & Ives. Fort Sumter: Charleston Harbor, S.C. New york: published by currier & ives, between 1860 and 1870] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001699183/.
April 12-13
Battle of Fort Sumter
1861
November 6
Jefferson Davis Becomes President of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis. [Between 1855 and 1865] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017895893/.
1862
United States Postal Service. "Homestead Act 4c 1962 Issue." Postage stamp, 1962. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Homestead_Act_4c_1962_issue.JPG
May 20
The Homestead Act
1862
Architect of the Capitol. Land Grant College. Photograph. December 7, 2011. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Land_Grant_College.jpg. a
July 2
The Morrill Act
1862
L. Prang & Co, and Thure De Thulstrup. Battle of Antietam / Thulstrup. , ca. 1887. Dec. 19. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003663827/.
September 17
The Battle of Antietam
1863
Watts, James W., 1895, Engraver, Henry Walker Herrick, and Lucius Stebbins. Reading the Emancipation Proclamation ca. 1864. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003678043/
January 1
The Emancipation Proclamation
1863
Currier & Ives. Siege and capture of Vicksburg, Miss. July 4th. [New York: published by Currier & Ives, between 1856 and 1907] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001705838/.
May 19-July 4
The Battle of Antietam
1863
Lincoln's address at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Pennsylvania Gettysburg, ca. 1905. Chicago: Sherwood Lithograph Co. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003674448/.
July 1-3
The Battle of Gettysburg
1863
Kurz & Allison. Storming Fort Wagner. Fort Wagner Morris Island South Carolina United States, ca. 1890. Chicago: Kurz & Allison-Art Publishers, Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012647346/.
July 18
The Battle of Fort Wagner
1863
Giles, J. L. , Lithographer, and Horatio Bateman. Reconstruction / eng. by J.L. Giles, N.Y.; printed by Francis Ratellier, 171 Broadway, N.Y. United States, ca. 1867. [New York: Printed by F. Ratellier, 171 Broadway, N.Y] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004665356/.
December
Amnesty and Reconstruction (10% Plan)
1864
November- December
Barnard, George N, photographer. Atlanta, Georgia. Sherman's men destroying railroad. United States, 1864. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018671360/.
Sherman's March to the Sea
1864
November 8
Lincoln Re-Elected
H.H. Lloyd & Co., Publisher. Presidential campaign, . Candidates for President and Vice-President of United States Election, Tuesday, November 8. United States, 1864. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014645211/.
1865
Cameron, John, Currier & Ives, and Alfred Whital Stern Collection Of Lincolniana Dlc. The true peace commissioners: Sheridan. Grant. Lee. Davis. Farragut. Sherman. Illinois Chicago Confederate States of America, 1864. New York: Published by Currier & Ives. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661660/.
April 9
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
1865
April 14
Lincoln Assassinated
The President Dead!. United States Boston Massachusetts Suffolk, 1865. The Boston Globe, Boston, Massachusetts. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000993/.
1865
December 6
Uncle Abe's valentine sent by Columbia; an envelope full of broken chains. United States New York Illinois, 1865. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, New York, 2. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000381/.
Thirteenth Amendment
Photo Caption
Former U.S. Senator Jefferson Davis was chosen to lead the new Confederate States of America.
Photo Caption
The charge of the 54th Massachusetts, led by Robert Gould Shaw, on Fort Wagner.
Photo Caption
The president and vice president candidates for the 1864 election are featured, surrounded by past presidents.
Primary Source
View of Fort Sumter, a Confederate flag flying, as part of the fort explodes.
Primary Source
The Homestead Act is passed, encouraging settlement of the West.
Photo Caption
A white Union soldier reads the Emancipation Proclamation to an enslaved family.
Photo Caption
Union troops laying siege and capturing Vicksburg.
Description Paragraph
Sherman asked for and received permission from Grant to march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. On this march, Sherman deployed 62,000 troops and cut a swath of destruction 60 miles wide from Atlanta to Savannah, systematically destroying anything that could benefit the Rebel military effort. The men destroyed public buildings, railroads, and the land. They largely left individual homes intact. Sherman’s goal was to “make Georgia howl.” The March to the Sea was meant to demonstrate to Southern civilians that “they could be hurt” and that “the Confederate government was powerless to protect them.” It was also meant as a policy to end the horrific Civil War, which had killed more than 600,000 soldiers.
Description Paragraph
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, and is considered a turning point in the Civil War. It began when Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his army into Pennsylvania, hoping to win a major victory on Northern soil and force the Union to negotiate peace. The Union won the battle, forcing Lee’s army to retreat to Virginia. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the war, with over 50,000 casualties. The Union victory stopped Lee’s invasion of the North and boosted morale. It was the last time Confederate armies would launch a large-scale invasion of the North and spelled the beginning of their long-term decline. To provide a final resting place for many of these honored dead, a new cemetery was created in Gettysburg and dedicated in November of 1863, only four months after the battle. President Abraham Lincoln accepted an invitation to speak at the event, where he offered a reflection on the battle, the greater war, and principles that continue to shape American ideals to this day.
Photo Caption
This political cartoon features President Lincoln receiving a valentine full of broken chains.
Photo Caption
Armed Union officers surround Confederate General Lee and Confederate President Davis in this political cartoon about ending the war.
Primary Source
Confederate postage stamps featuring Jefferson Davis.
Primary Source
General Lee signs the surrender.
Description Paragraph
The election of 1864 was a pivotal moment during the Civil War, as President Abraham Lincoln ran for reelection against former Union General George B. McClellan, the Democratic candidate. Lincoln’s chances initially seemed uncertain due to the prolonged war and widespread dissatisfaction in the North. However, Union victories, like the capture of Atlanta by General Sherman, boosted Northern morale and support for Lincoln. McClellan campaigned on a platform of seeking peace with the Confederacy, but many voters feared this would allow the South to keep slavery. Lincoln won decisively, securing fifty-five percent of the popular vote and 212 of 233 electoral votes. His victory ensured the continuation of the Union war effort and set the stage for the abolition of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment.
Photo Caption
Sherman’s men destroying railroads in the south.
Description Paragraph
The presidential election of 1860 proved to be the most significant in the history of the United States. Four major candidates, John Bell, Stephen Douglas, John Breckinridge, and Abraham Lincoln, ran for president in a country that was already deeply divided. The election became a mostly sectional contest, with Lincoln and Douglas vying for votes in the North, and Bell and Breckinridge competing in the South. Even though Lincoln received less than forty percent of the popular vote and was barely competitive in the south, he carried almost all the free states to win a clear majority in the Electoral College. Lincoln became the first Republican president of the United States. Southerners refused to accept him as their president. The election of 1860 led to the Civil War.
Primary Source
Sherman's troops destroying southern supply lines.
Photo Caption
A postage stamp celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Homestead Act.
Primary Source
An artist's interpretation of the assassination of President Lincoln.
Description Paragraph
In early 1861, tensions escalated as Southern states seceded following Lincoln’s election, leaving U.S. troops stationed at Fort Sumter in a standoff with Confederate forces. Outgoing President James Buchanan, slowed by doubt, only deepened the crisis, setting the stage for war. Northerners saw Fort Sumter as a symbol of the Union, national sovereignty, and defiance of the rebellion, and they wanted to hold it. Southerners saw it as a marker of the federal government’s power and hoped to take it in defiance of Yankee tyranny, to make it a glorious symbol of state sovereignty and their independence. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, the Confederate cannon opened fire and continued to bombard Fort Sumter for more than 30 hours. On April 14, 1861, the fort was formally surrendered. The next day, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men to put down the rebellion. The response was overwhelming, and many thousands of men signed up to save the Union.
Description Paragraph
Also known as Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan, this plan was introduced by President Abraham Lincoln in late 1863 during the Civil War. Its goal was to bring the Southern states back into the Union quickly and peacefully after the war. The plan offered amnesty (a pardon) to most Southerners who pledged loyalty to the Union and accepted the end of slavery. Once 10% of a state’s voters (based on the 1860 election) took this oath, the state could form a new government and rejoin the Union. The plan was lenient because Lincoln wanted to heal the nation and not punish the South harshly. However, many in Congress, especially Radical Republicans, thought it was too forgiving. They wanted stricter requirements for Southern states and more protections for freed African Americans. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, President Andrew Johnson tried to follow an even more lenient approach than Lincoln that would give very little protections for Blacks, but this led to conflicts with Congress and difficulties during Reconstruction.
Description Paragraph
The Morrill Act was a law that provided land to states to help establish colleges focused on agriculture and engineering. Each state received land to sell, and the money from those sales was used to build schools, which were called land-grant colleges. Much of this land, however, was taken from Native American tribes through treaties and forced removal. The goal of the act was to make higher education more affordable and accessible, especially for people living in rural areas. It helped improve education in the United States and supported advancements in farming and technology.
Description Paragraph
The Battle of Antietam was important because it was the bloodiest single day in American history, with over 22,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. The battle ended in a tactical draw, but it stopped Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North where his plan was to take Washington, DC. This gave the Union a much-needed boost in morale. It was also important because President Abraham Lincoln used the Union’s performance as an opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. This brought a new aspect of the war in the form of ending slavery. The retreat of Lee back South also discouraged foreign countries, like Britain and France, from supporting the Confederacy.
Description Paragraph
The Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress January 31 but not ratified until December. It was required to be ratified by the former Confederate states before they could rejoin the Union. It was this amendment that put an end to slavery in the entire Union.
Primary Source
A picture of President Abraham Lincoln.
Description Paragraph
Jefferson Davis became the president of the Confederate States of America in November 1861. Davis had been a senator and representative from Mississippi and Secretary of War under President Pierce before leading the Confederacy. He was chosen because of his experience in government and the military, and his strong support for state sovereignty and slavery. As president, Davis led the Confederacy through challenges, such as building a new government, organizing an army, and dealing with shortages of supplies.
Photo Caption
Fort Sumter as it stood in Charleston Harbor.
Description Paragraph
The Homestead Act was passed to encourage the settlement of new western frontier lands. People, including freedmen and immigrants, were encouraged to establish small, independent farms, build a home, and live on the land for at least five years. The Republicans advocated this, because it fit their vision of the founding principles of the United States. The Homestead Act sought to economically develop the resources of the American frontier. Unfortunately, for Native Americans living on this land, the Homestead Act meant relocation to reservations.
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Lee's army, exhausted and outnumbered, was surrounded after a series of defeats. Grant treated the Confederates charitably. Grant’s terms of surrender were quite lenient, allowing Confederate soldiers to return home with their personal belongings, horses, and sidearms. He accorded his former enemy respect and hoped to set the stage for healing the divisions in the Union. Grant’s vision was consistent with Lincoln’s peacemaking views in his Second Inaugural Address. However, whereas some northerners wanted to reconcile and restore the Union, others wanted to punish the South for the war.
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On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the proclamation in his capacity as Commander in Chief and stated the military necessity of his action. He ordered slaves freed in areas that were in rebellion against the U.S. as of January 1, 1863. He declared that the military would enforce their freedom and receive former slaves as soldiers. Upon signing the Proclamation, Lincoln affirmed that he had never felt “more certain that I was doing right.” He believed, as the Proclamation stated, this action was “warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity.” He concluded that as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, he had the power to do it.
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The Siege of Vicksburg was a major Union victory in the Civil War and lasted from May 18 to July 4, 1863. Vicksburg, Mississippi, was a key city on the Mississippi River, and controlling it was crucial for the Union to gain control of the river. Union General Ulysses S. Grant led the campaign to capture Vicksburg. After several failed attacks, Grant surrounded the city, cutting it off from supplies and reinforcements. For over six weeks, the people and Confederate soldiers in Vicksburg endured constant bombardment and severe shortages of food and medicine. Facing starvation, the Confederate forces finally surrendered on July 4. This victory, along with the Union triumph at Gettysburg, marked a major turning point in the war, giving the Union full control of the Mississippi River and weakening the Confederacy significantly.
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An 1888 artist representation of the siege of Vicksburg.
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This print shows Lincoln's address at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
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Allowing Black soldiers to join the Union army during the Civil War was controversial, as President Lincoln feared it might push loyal slave states to secede. However, by 1862, Union victories freed many enslaved people, and fewer white men were volunteering to fight. This led to the Second Confiscation and Militia Act, which allowed Black men to serve. The first regiment of African American soldiers, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, was formed in 1863, led by white Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. Their bravery, particularly in the assault on Fort Wagner where Shaw and many of his men were killed, proved the courage and capability of Black soldiers.
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Characters representing Confederate leaders are satirized as selfishly divided and driven by slavery and economic interests rather than true unity.
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An 1888 artist's interpretation of the Battle of Antietam.
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An 1887 artist's representation of the Battle of Antietam.
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This broadside announced South Carolina’s secession from the Union.
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Just days after the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer and actor, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. Booth planned the assassination as part of a larger conspiracy to revive the Confederate cause by killing key government leaders. Lincoln died the following morning, becoming the first U.S. president to be assassinated. After shooting Lincoln, Booth fled but was captured and killed 12 days later. Lincoln’s death shocked the nation and left the country mourning the loss of a leader who had guided it through its greatest crisis.
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A broadside announcing President Lincoln's death.
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This allegorical print envisions Reconstruction by depicting the U.S. government as a grand pavilion being rebuilt on the new foundations of Justice, Liberty, and Education, overseen by military and symbolic figures, with Christ, historical icons, and former Union and Confederate leaders united under a message of equality and moral renewal.
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South Carolina led the resistance to Abraham Lincoln’s election, passing an ordinance of secession in December 1860. Others soon followed, and in February 1861, representatives from seven southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to create a new government called the Confederate States of America. Lincoln insisted that he had no desire or constitutional authority to end slavery in the states where it already existed, yet war broke out in April 1861. Despite southerners’ insistence that state’s powers included the right to secede or withdraw from the Union, Lincoln and the majority of Northerners saw secession as treason, an act of rebellion. Under the Constitution, the president had the authority to put down such a rebellion.
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The four presidential candidates in 1860 are seen with the map of the United States. Three are tearing it apart, and one is gluing it back together.
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An example of a land grant college created from the Morrill Act.