Basic Facts of Lincoln’s life:
- Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
- Lincoln received very little formal schooling, and one wrote that he believed, "...the aggregate of all his [Lincoln's] schooling did not amount to one year."
- He educated himself, focusing on law.
- In 1832, Lincoln volunteered to fight in the Black Hawk War, and was elected Captain of his unit. He and his men never saw action in the war.
- Lincoln served in the Illinois state legislature, as a Whig, from 1834-1842.
- In 1836, he passed the bar examination and began practicing law.
- Lincoln served as an Illinois Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, as a Whig, from 1847-1849.
- He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1854 as a Whig, and in 1858 as a Republican, losing both elections.
- In 1860, Lincoln ran for President of the United states as a Republican, and was elected. He was also successful in his Presidential reelection campaign in 1864.
- Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth (above) on April 14, 1865, and died on April 15, 1865.
The civil war (briefly)
The American Civil War was the most deadly and arguably the most important event in the nation's history. Sectional tensions enshrined in theConstitution erupted into a brutal war that cost over 600,000 lives and cleaved a nation in two. Slavery was a root cause of the conflict, and while the Thirteenth Amendment ended the practice at war's end, race relations continued to dominate American politics and society well into the future. The war also increased American economic power until it rivaled, and then surpassed, that of all other countries. And following the war, Americans had a new sense of being a part of a single nation instead of a conglomerate of states with their own institutions and histories.
The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights and westward expansion. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede and form the Confederate States of America; four more states soon joined them. The War Between the States, as the Civil War was also known, ended in Confederate surrender in 1865. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and much of the South left in ruin.
The Civil War Begins (April 12, 1861) - The South attacks Fort Sumter South Carolina and starts the war.
More States leave the Union (April 1861) - within a short period of time Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas all leave the Union to join the Confederacy.
Union Blockade (April 19, 1861) - Abraham Lincoln announces the Union Blockade where the Union Navy will attempt to keep supplies from entering or leaving the Confederacy. This blockade will weaken the Confederacy later in the war.
Many Battles of 1861 and 1862 - Throughout 1861 and 1862 there were many battles where lots of soldiers from both sides were wounded and killed. Some of the major battles include the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, The Battle of Shiloh, The Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. There was also the famous sea battle between the two ironclad battleships the Monitor and the Merrimac. These ships had iron or steel plates on their sides for armor making them much stronger and changing war on the seas forever.
Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863) - President Lincoln issues an executive order freeing many slaves and laying the groundwork for the Thirteenth Amendment.
The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1, 1863) - A major battle where the North not only wins the battle, but starts to win the Civil War.
Sherman Captures Atlanta (Sept. 2, 1864) - General Sherman captures the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Later in the year he would march to the sea and capture Savannah, Ga. On his way he would destroy and burn much of the land his army passed through.
The Civil War Ends
General Robert E. Lee surrenders (April 9, 1865) - General Lee, the leader of the Confederate Army, surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at The Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
President Lincoln is Assassinated (April 14, 1865) - While attending the Ford's Theatre, President Lincoln is shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.
Reconstruction of the South (1865-1877) - The South is occupied by Federal troops while state governments, economies, and infrastructure are rebuilt.
- 1861 – 1865 – the beginning and the end of The American Civil War
- September 22, 1862 - Union victory at Antietam
- January 1, 1863 – Linkolnissued the Emancipation Proclamation
