The Civil War and Emancipation

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in Confederate territory.

The primary cause of the Civil War was the issue of slavery, particularly the expansion of slavery into new territories.

The Union, led by President Abraham Lincoln, defeated the Confederacy, led by President Jefferson Davis, in the Civil War.

Approximately 620,000 soldiers died in the Civil War, making it the deadliest conflict in American history.

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is widely regarded as the turning point of the Civil War, as it marked the end of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North.

General Ulysses S. Grant was the commander of the Union Army during the Civil War and played a crucial role in securing victory for the Union.

General Robert E. Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War and is considered one of the greatest military commanders in American history.

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.

The Freedmen's Bureau was a federal agency established in 1865 to provide aid and assistance to freed slaves during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Texas was the last state to secede from the Union, doing so on February 1, 1861.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, doing so on December 20, 1860.

Richmond, Virginia, was the capital of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

Washington, D.C., was the capital of the United States of America during the Civil War.

General Ulysses S. Grant is known as the 'Hero of Appomattox' for his role in accepting the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War.