Civil War and Reconstruction Timeline

CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION TIMELINE

November 1860	Lincoln Elected President
December 1860 to February 1861	Seven Southern States Seceded from the Union in the following order: SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, and TX
April 9, 1861	South Carolina attacks Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor Lincoln responds by calling for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion.
April-May, 1861	Four More Southern States seceded TN, NC, VA and AR secede KY, MO, DE, and MD do not secede MO remains mainly unionist. KY neutral. MD mainly for secession but Lincoln arrests leading secessionist so DC not isolated from rest of the country. Eastern TN and western NC mainly unionist. Western VA scedes from VA and later admitted as separate state in 1863.
1863	Vicksburg & Gettysburg are turning point in the Civil War. Vicksburg splits South into two. Separates portions in which most of the war is fought from its "breadbasket" Gettysburg decimates the South's Army of Northern Virginia and prevents Confederacy from taking war to the North again. Emancipation Proclamation -- made war not just about saving Union, but also to eliminate slavery. Proclamation only frees slaves in states in rebellion, says nothing about the loyal slave states. Many masters heard of proclamation after their slaves had heard. By the middle of June 1863, news of the proclamation had progressed by word of mouth among slaves as far south as Texas -- Juneteenth Celebration "Contrabands" used by US military and start issue of emancipation. Following proclamation, Blacks allowed in US Army and Navy, 178,000 joined Army and 30,000 joined Navy. Nearly 40,000 died in service to country and Black units were often used in some of the heaviest fighting.
1865	Lincoln assassinated in April; War ends in early May. Presidential Reconstruction - Lincoln wanted no revenge on South, nor a radical restructuring of Southern society. Lincoln's plan: Any rebel state could form a government when 10% of the electorate of 1860 in that state took a loyalty oath and gained presidential amnesty (called the 10% plan). Government of reconstructed states must swear to uphold laws and proclamations regarding emanicpation. Certain groups excleudded from presidential amnesty: High Confederate Officials Former US military officers who resigned commission to join Confederate military Former US congressmen and senators who resigned seats to join Confederacy After Lincoln assassinated, Andrew Johnson, who was a democrat from Tennessee became President and amended Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan. Johnson's Plan: New amnesty added Southerners who were worth $20,000 to list of people needing special amnesty. Had to apply for special pardon from the President. Each former Confederate state should organize a state government run by native unionists as provisional governor with authority to call a convention elected by loyal voters. Conventions expected to: Invalidate secession ordinances. Repudiate Confederate debt. Abolish Slavery. Pass 13^th Amendment to US Constitution.
1866	Black Codes and Southern Governments Southern governments not reconstructed, but defiant. Some refused to repudiates debt. Others failed to repudiate secession. All failed to give blacks political rights. Black codes essentially re-enslaved blacks by using old slave codes as models for punishments aimed specifically for blacks but not applicable to whites. Unemployed blacks could be fined, and if could not pay the fine then their labor could be sold to the highest bidder. Johnson impeached Congress passed law making it illegal for Johnson to fire his Republican cabinet, but Johnson did anyway. Law was essentially unconstitutional theft of duties of President by Congress Impeachment is a political device wrapped in the trappings of a judicial process Senate failed to convict by one vote because understood what such action would do to the political process. Radical Reconstruction begins Divide South into military districts with military commanders responsible for law enforcement. To gain readmittance to union, states must pass 13^th, 14^th, (and by 1870) 15^th Amendments. grant universal male suffrage regardless of race. Freedman's Bureau instituted to help newly freed slaves as well as Southern unionists adapt to new social conditions in South.
1866-1872	Reconstruction Corruption just part of larger corruption of Gilded Age, not unique to the South, and government was probably more honest in the South than in the North at the same time because many Northerner went South with desire to rehabilitate the region.
1871	Redemption Most Southern States returned to civilian rule except SC, LA and FL Southern whites used intimidation and violence to stop blacks from exercising their rights. Souhenr whites controlled the law enforcement process so blacks could get no justice When all else failed, Whites used murder and assassination of black officeholders, by paramilitary groups of former confederates organized as the KKK, to "redeem" the South
1877	Compromise of 1877 Republicans stole Presidential election of 1876 from Democrat Samuel Tilden, who won the popular vote. Southern White Democrats stole the race in most Southern states through intimidation of the black electorate Republicans continued to hold power in LA, FL, and SC, and they were caught stuffing ballot boxes in favor of their candidate. Congressional committee assigned to investigate widespread fraud. On party line vote, the committee awarded the votes in question (in SC, FL, and LA) to Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes, which made him the next President. The leaders of the two national parties make a secret deal at Wormley House Hotel in Washington, DC in which White Southerners agree not to pursue the fraud complaint Republicans agree to end Reconstruction and pull out federal troops so White Southerners can deal with the "negro question" according to their own traditions.

Last Updated: December 8, 2002