January 3
January 3
Delaware rejects secession
On January 3, 1861, just two weeks after South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, the state of Delaware rejects a similar proposal. There had been…
A Year In History: 1861
Also Within This Year in History:
1861
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as America’s 16th president. Just weeks later, the newly formed Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, igniting the American Civil War. To fund the conflict, Congress enacted the country’s first income tax. Elsewhere in the world, multiple states on the Italian Peninsula united to form the Kingdom of Italy, while multiple European powers invaded Mexico to collect unpaid debts. Back in Britain, The Times gave readers the first-ever published weather forecast.
January 9
January 9
“Star of the West” is fired upon
On January 9, 1861, a Union merchant ship, the Star of the West, is fired upon as it tries to deliver supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.…
January 16
January 16
Crittenden Compromise is killed in Senate
The Crittenden Compromise, the last chance to keep North and South united, dies in the U.S. Senate. Proposed by Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky, the compromise was a series of…
January 29
January 29
Kansas enters the Union
On January 29, 1861, Kansas is admitted to the Union as free state. It was the 34th state to join the Union. The struggle between pro‑ and anti‑slave forces in…
February 4
February 4
States meet to form Confederacy
In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana convene in Montgomery, Alabama to establish the Confederate States of America. As early as 1858, the ongoing conflict…
February 13
February 13
First Medal of Honor action
The earliest military action to be awarded a Medal of Honor is performed by Colonel Bernard J.D. Irwin, an assistant army surgeon serving in the first major U.S.‑Apache conflict. Near…
February 23
February 23
Abraham Lincoln arrives in Washington, D.C.
On February 23, 1861, President‑elect Abraham Lincoln arrives in Washington, D.C., amid secrecy and tight security. With seven states having already seceded from the Union since Lincoln’s election, the threat…
February 28
February 28
Congress creates Colorado Territory
With the region’s white population booming because of the Pike’s Peak gold rush, Congress creates the new Territory of Colorado. When the United States acquired it after the Mexican‑American War…
March 2
March 2
Texas secedes
On March 2, 1861, Texas becomes the seventh state to secede from the Union. The first official move for secession actually came a month earlier, on February 1, when a…
March 4
March 4
Abraham Lincoln inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th president of the United States on March 4, 1861. In his inauguration speech, Lincoln extended an olive branch to the South, but also made it…
March 11
March 11
Confederate states adopt new constitution
In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas adopt the Permanent Constitution of the Confederate States of America. The constitution resembled the Constitution of…
March 20
March 20
Willie and Tad Lincoln get the measles
On March 20, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln’s sons, Willie and Tad, are diagnosed with the measles, adding to the president’s many troubles. Few U.S. presidents worked as hard in office…
April 12
April 12
Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter
Four of the bloodiest years in American history begin when Confederate shore batteries under General Pierre G.T. Beauregard open fire on Union‑held Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor on…
April 13
April 13
Union forces surrender at Fort Sumter
After a 33‑hour bombardment by Confederate cannons, Union forces surrender Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor. The first engagement of the war ended in Rebel victory. The surrender concluded…
April 19
April 19
First blood in the Civil War
On April 19, 1861, the first blood of the American Civil War is shed when a secessionist mob in Baltimore attacks Massachusetts troops bound for Washington, D.C. Four soldiers and…
April 20
April 20
Robert E. Lee resigns from U.S. Army after Virginia secedes from Union
Colonel Robert E. Lee resigns from the United States army two days after he was offered command of the Union army and three days after his native state, Virginia, seceded…
April 27
April 27
President Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War
April 27, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln instructs General Winfield Scott to suspend habeas corpus as necessary to keep vital transport and supply lines clear in Maryland. This action kicks off…
May 28
May 28
President Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus is challenged
On May 28, 1861, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney of Maryland issues Ex parte Merryman, challenging the authority of President Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. military to suspend the writ…
July 11
July 11
Union notches a victory at the Battle of Rich Mountain
On July 11, 1861, Union troops under General George B. McClellan score another major victory in the struggle for western Virginia at the Battle of Rich Mountain. The Yankee success…
July 12
July 12
Confederacy signs treaties with Choctaw and Chickasaw nations
Special commissioner Albert Pike completes treaties with the members of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, giving the new Confederate States of America several allies in Indian Territory. Some members of…
