The Outbreak of the Civil War

The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860

The signing of the Emancipation Proclamation

The attack on Fort Sumter

The Missouri Compromise

The Battle of Gettysburg; It led to the South's surrender.

The firing on Fort Sumter; It united the North to preserve the Union.

The Emancipation Proclamation; It freed all slaves.

The Battle of Antietam; It resulted in a stalemate.

Blockade Southern ports

Control the Mississippi River

Seek foreign recognition

Squeeze the Confederacy into submission

The election of Abraham Lincoln and fears over the loss of slavery and political power

Economic disagreements over tariffs

Disputes about western land expansion

Religious differences between North and South