Confederate Civil War History Timeline and Biographies

1861

Formation of the Confederate States of America

On February 8, 1861, delegates from six seceded southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to form the Confederate States of America, marking the official beginning of the Confederate Civil War. Jefferson Davis was elected as the first president of the Confederacy.

1861

The Attack on Fort Sumter

On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter in South Carolina, prompting the start of the Confederate Civil War. This attack led President Lincoln to call for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion, escalating the conflict.

1861

First Battle of Bull Run

The First Battle of Bull Run, fought on July 21, 1861, was the first significant battle of the Confederate Civil War. Confederate troops, under General Thomas Jackson, earned the nickname "Stonewall," ultimately leading to a Confederate victory and boosting Southern morale.

1862

The Seven Days Battles

From June 25 to July 1, 1862, the Seven Days Battles showcased the intensity of the Confederate Civil War. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia pushed Union forces back from near Richmond, leading to a decisive Confederate victory and a shift in military dynamics.

1862

Fought on September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest days in American history. Though tactically inconclusive, it provided President Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, marking a pivotal moment in the Confederate Civil War.

1863

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, proclaiming the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory. This shifted the focus of the Confederate Civil War toward the moral imperative of ending slavery, alongside the military objectives.

1864

Beginning in November 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman led his infamous March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, employing total war strategies that devastated the Southern economy and infrastructure during the Confederate Civil War.

1864

From June 1864 to April 1865, the Siege of Petersburg was a prolonged military campaign during the Confederate Civil War, wherein Union forces encircled the Confederate capital of Richmond, significantly weakening the Confederate army's capabilities.

1865

On April 3, 1865, Union forces captured Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, marking a crucial moment in the Confederate Civil War that indicated the impending defeat of the Confederate States of America.

1865

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively signaling the end of the Confederate Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction in the United States.

1865

On April 14, 1865, just days after the end of the Confederate Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, which complicated the post-war recovery and the treatment of the South following the conflict.

1865

On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States and solidifying one of the most significant outcomes of the Confederate Civil War, fundamentally altering the social, economic, and political landscape of the nation.

1866

The period of Reconstruction officially began in 1866, focusing on rebuilding the South's economy and integrating formerly enslaved people into society. This challenging transition was a direct result of the Confederate Civil War and its lasting impacts on American society.