War between the Union and the seceding Confederate states, centred on slavery, ending in Union victory and the abolition of slavery.
Confederate forces bombard Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, opening the American Civil War.
President Lincoln proclaims freedom for enslaved people in the Confederate states in rebellion.
Union forces defeat Robert E. Lee's army in Pennsylvania in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, a turning point of the conflict.
Abraham Lincoln delivers a brief speech dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg, affirming the ideals of liberty and equality.
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War.
John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre days after the Civil War effectively ends; Lincoln dies the next morning.