Why this matters now
American Civil War is tested for: causes (slavery + states’ rights + Missouri Compromise 1820 + Dred Scott 1857 + John Brown’s raid 1859 + Lincoln’s 1860 election); Confederate secession (South Carolina first 20 Dec 1860, Fort Sumter 12 April 1861); Emancipation Proclamation 1 January 1863; Gettysburg 1-3 July 1863 (Pickett’s Charge) + Gettysburg Address 19 Nov 1863; Appomattox surrender 9 April 1865; Lincoln assassination at Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth 14 April 1865; 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments (slavery, citizenship, voting); Reconstruction Era; long shadow of Jim Crow.
Causes (1820-1860)
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1820 | Missouri Compromise — Missouri slave, Maine free; prohibited slavery north of 36°30’. |
| 1850 | Compromise of 1850 — California free; Fugitive Slave Act required Northerners to return escapees. |
| 1852 | Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin — anti-slavery bestseller (1 million copies in Britain alone). |
| 1854 | Kansas-Nebraska Act — popular sovereignty replaced Missouri Compromise; “Bleeding Kansas” violence. |
| 1857 | Dred Scott v. Sandford — Supreme Court (Roger Taney CJ) ruled African-Americans NOT citizens; Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories. |
| 16-18 Oct 1859 | John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry — abolitionist seized federal arsenal hoping to spark slave rebellion. Captured, hanged 2 Dec 1859. |
| 6 Nov 1860 | Abraham Lincoln (Republican) elected 16th President — without single Southern state. |
| 20 Dec 1860 | South Carolina seceded. |
| 4 Feb 1861 | Confederate States of America formed by 7 states; Jefferson Davis President. Eventually 11 states (SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX + VA, AR, TN, NC after Fort Sumter). |
The War (1861-65)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 12 April 1861 | Confederates fired on Fort Sumter (Charleston, SC) — war began. |
| 21 July 1861 | 1st Battle of Bull Run (1st Manassas) — Confederate victory. |
| 17 September 1862 | Battle of Antietam — bloodiest single day (23,000 casualties); tactical draw but strategic Union win. |
| 1 January 1863 | EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION — Lincoln declared all enslaved persons in Confederate states “forever free”. Did not free border-state slaves. |
| 1-3 July 1863 | BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG — Pennsylvania; Union General Meade defeated Confederate Robert E. Lee; Pickett’s Charge 3 July. Turning point. |
| 4 July 1863 | Vicksburg falls — Grant takes Mississippi River; cut Confederacy in two. |
| 19 November 1863 | GETTYSBURG ADDRESS — Lincoln, “a new birth of freedom...government of the people, by the people, for the people” (272 words, 2 minutes). |
| March 1864 | Ulysses S. Grant appointed General-in-Chief of Union armies. |
| Nov 1864 | Lincoln re-elected (running mate Andrew Johnson). |
| Nov 1864 - Apr 1865 | Sherman’s March to the Sea (Atlanta → Savannah). |
| 9 April 1865 | APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE — Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. War effectively over. |
| 14 April 1865 | LINCOLN ASSASSINATED at Ford’s Theatre, Washington DC by actor John Wilkes Booth; died 15 April 7:22 AM. |
Reconstruction + Amendments
Reconstruction Amendments:
| Amendment | Year | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| 13th | 6 Dec 1865 | Abolished slavery + involuntary servitude (except for crime). |
| 14th | 9 July 1868 | Birthright citizenship; equal protection under law; due process. |
| 15th | 3 Feb 1870 | Right to vote regardless of race + colour + servitude (males). |
Reconstruction Era 1865-77: Andrew Johnson succeeded Lincoln (Vice President); clashed with Radical Republicans; 1st Presidential impeachment 1868 (acquitted by 1 vote in Senate). Radical Reconstruction enforced 14th + 15th Amendments via federal troops. Freedmen’s Bureau. Compromise of 1877 — troops withdrawn from South; ushered Jim Crow era of legal segregation until Brown v. Board of Education 1954.
UPSC angle
Know AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861-65) — UNION (23 free states + Lincoln Republican) vs CONFEDERACY (11 slave states + Jefferson Davis); 620000+ casualties; CAUSES: Missouri Compromise 1820, Compromise 1850 + Fugitive Slave Act, Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852, Kansas-Nebraska 1854 Bleeding Kansas, DRED SCOTT v SANDFORD 1857 (CJ Taney African Americans not citizens), John Brown Harper’s Ferry raid 16-18 Oct 1859 (hanged 2 Dec 1859), LINCOLN ELECTED 6 NOV 1860, SOUTH CAROLINA SECEDED 20 Dec 1860, Confederacy formed 4 Feb 1861 Jefferson Davis President; WAR: FORT SUMTER 12 APRIL 1861 began, Bull Run 21 July 1861, Antietam 17 Sept 1862 (23000 casualties bloodiest single day), EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION 1 JAN 1863 (freed slaves Confederate states only), GETTYSBURG 1-3 JULY 1863 turning point (Pickett’s Charge 3 July, Gen Meade defeated Lee), Vicksburg 4 July 1863 Grant took Mississippi, GETTYSBURG ADDRESS 19 NOVEMBER 1863 Lincoln (“new birth of freedom...government of the people” 272 words 2 min), Grant Gen-in-Chief March 1864, Lincoln re-elected Nov 1864 (Andrew Johnson VP), Sherman March to Sea Nov 1864-Apr 1865, APPOMATTOX 9 APRIL 1865 LEE SURRENDERED TO GRANT, LINCOLN ASSASSINATED 14 April 1865 FORD’S THEATRE Washington DC by John Wilkes Booth; RECONSTRUCTION AMENDMENTS: 13TH (6 Dec 1865 abolished slavery), 14TH (9 July 1868 birthright citizenship + equal protection + due process), 15TH (3 Feb 1870 vote regardless race); RECONSTRUCTION ERA 1865-77, Andrew Johnson impeached 1868 acquitted 1 vote, Compromise 1877 withdrew federal troops → Jim Crow era until Brown v Board 1954.
Frequently asked questions
What started the American Civil War?
Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter (Charleston, SC) on 12 April 1861. South Carolina had seceded on 20 December 1860 after Lincoln’s election.
What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
Lincoln’s 1 January 1863 declaration that all enslaved persons in Confederate states were “forever free”. Did not affect border-state slaves — that came with the 13th Amendment.
When did the Civil War end?
When General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on 9 April 1865. Other Confederate forces surrendered over the next 2 months.
How was Lincoln assassinated?
At Ford’s Theatre, Washington DC, on 14 April 1865 (Good Friday) by actor John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln died at 7:22 AM on 15 April 1865.