Timeline of the Civil War: Summary

Timeline of the Civil War: Summary [The editors of Americans All Maryland ] (April 12, 1861 - April 9, 1865)

The Civil War (1861-1865) has been called the Second American Revolution, the War of the Rebellion, the War between the States, the War for Southern Independence, the Rich Man's War and the Poor Man's Fight, the War to Save the Union, and after it was over, many in the South referred to it as "The Lost Cause." It was also called a struggle between national sovereignty and states' rights.

To achieve separation, a convention of delegates from six of the cotton-growing states (Texas was added later) met at Montgomery, Alabama, February 4, 1861, and established a government under the title of "The Confederate States of America." On March 21,1861, Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy declared: “The Confederacy's foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and moral condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."

The Civil War began when Southern troops attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in April 1861. Although the military battles ended on April 9, 1865 after  Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House, the major issues that had started the war were never resolved.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Timelines and Legacy Stories can contain more than one collection of photographs. Images are arranged from left to right. To view or print a single photograph collection, click on its link below.  To view or print any single or all of the 22 photograph collections, CLICK HERE.

Row 1: Timeline of the Civil War: Background and Causes  ●  Timeline of the Civil War: Background and Causes [this photograph collection has a link inside the text]  ●  Timeline of the Civil War: Abolition and the Underground Railroad, 1700 to 1865, Part 1  ●  Additional photograph collection for Part 1 [this photograph collection has a link inside the text].  

Row 2: Timeline of the Civil War:  Abolition and the Underground Railroad, 1700 to 1865, Part 2  ●  Additional photograph collection for Part 2  ●   Additional photograph collection for Part 2  [these two photograph collections have a link inside the text]  ●  Civil War: Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Row 3: Timeline of the Civil War: Major Battles and Reconstruction  ●  Additional photograph collection for “Battles.” ●  Additional photograph collection for “Battles.”  ●  Additional photograph collection for “Battles.”

Row 4: Additional photograph collection for “Battles.”   ●  Top: Civil War: Andersonville Angel, Irish History; Bottom: Civil War: Battle of Antietam, Irish History  ●  Fredericksburg, Texas  ●  Examples of some of the Americans All resources being used in more than 2,000 schools and libraries, and provide the context for many Heritage Honor Roll stories.

CLICK HERE to view Civil War: Black Codes.

CLICK HERE to view additional Civil War photograph images and legacy stories from our Heritage Honor Roll.

Row 1: Harriet "Minty" Tubman  ●  Sojourner Truth  ●  Honorable Jefferson Finis Davis  ●  Rev. James William Charles Pennington 

Row 2: The John Brown Raid