What: Seceded from the United States which led to 6 more states to follow along

Where: South Carolina and around the United States

Why Significant: Abraham Lincoln threatened the culture and economy of southern slave states and served as a catalyst for secession. This led to South Carolina to secede from the United States which then led to 6 more states doing the same

What: Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland in September of 1862 because he wanted to move the focus of fighting away from the South and into Federal territory

Where: Maryland 

Why Significant: Could lead to the capture of the Federal capital in Washington D.C.

What: Granted freedom to the slaves in the Confederate States. Under this proclamation, freedom would only come to the slaves if the Union won the war.  

Where: United States 

Why Significant: Granted freedom to slaves around the United States, especially those in the confederate states. 

What: Robert E. Lee wanted to win a battle north of the Mason-Dixon line in hopes of forcing a negotiated end to the fighting. That then led to union victory.

Why Significant: Marked the turning point for the Civil War. This battle alone was the bloodiest single fight of the conflict.

What: General E. Lee surrendered his army to the Union generals Ulysses S. Grant which ended up precipitating the capitulation of other Confederate forces. That then led to the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history.

Where: Appomattox, Virginia

Why significant: Led to the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history.

What/Where/Why: Army of Virginia we ordered to defend Washington DC and Union-held northern Virginia while the army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. battled Robert E. Lee outside of the Richmond.

Why Significant: The battle at Cedar Mountain shifted fighting in Virginia from the peninsula to Northern Virginia

What: Although the civil war officially began on April 12, 1861, the fighting didn't commerce in earnest until the Battle of Bull Run which fought months later in Virginia

Why: President Lincoln pushed the cautious to embark a campaign to capture the confederate capitol in Richmond but McDowell's troops were stopped

Why significant: The fight forced both the North and South to face the harsh reality that the war would be long and bloody

What: Nine months after their victory at the Pea Ridge. the Union Army of The Frontier in the area was geographically divided. One division remained in the Northwestern part of Arkansas and the second was stationed around the Missouri capitol.

Why: The Confederates were hoping to use Arkansas as a base for operations into the border state of Missouri

Why significant: Though the battle ended as a stalemate, it ended up establishing Federal control of Northwest Arkansas

What/Where: The Confederate Army secured a victory at Chickamuaga however they lost 20% of their force during battle. After 2 days of fighting, the Rebels broke through Union lines and forced the Federals into a siege at Chickamuaga

Why significant: Chickamuaga was the second bloodiest battle of the Civil War and was by far the deadlist battle in the Western Theater.

What: S Grants. failure to capture Richmond or destroy the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Overland Campaign. By the morning of June 15th 1864, he was ready to launch his attack.

Why: Capturing Richmond would isolate the Confederate capital and force General Robert E. Lee to either evacuate Richmond or fight.

Why significant: It would be 291 days before the American flag would fly over Petersburg again.