The Civil War began with the Southern attack on one of the last northern forts in the south, Fort Sumter. Neither the union nor the confederacy wanted to be the side to start the fighting, but when Lincoln sent provision down to Fort Sumter, the south believed that the fort warranted attacking. Photograph via http://www.sonofthesouth.net/civil-war-pictures/navy/fort-sumter-1863.jpg. Photograph from G.S. Cook.
The Battle of First Bull Run was the first real battle in the Civil War, as the north sent troops down to Virginia to fight a southern troop led by Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson. The north were overconfident heading into the battle, and were promptly crushed by the more organized Confederate forces. First Bull Run served to humble the north and helped Lincoln realize that the war was not going to be won in one battle. Photograph via http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/00900/00954v.jpg. Photograph from George N. Barnard.
This group of Union soldiers was part of the northern Peninsula Campaign. Many northerners still believed the war could be won quickly and easily against the south. The Peninsula Campaign, which ended in northern defeat, humbled the Union forces and helped the realization that the war would be long and tough dawn upon the north. Photograph via http://www.barlowgenealogy.com/FairfieldFamilies/jwbar3.jpg. Photograph from Hirst D. Milhollen and Donald H. Mugridge.
The Battle of Antietam was a critical turning point of the Civil War, as it was the first major victory for the north. Outside of that, it also provided a springboard for the Emancipation Proclamation and assured that foreign powers would not join in on the confederate side. Photograph via http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/41/2141-004-E31508A6.jpg. Photograph from Alexander Gardner.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln after the battle at Antietam, was an attempt to shift the focus of the Civil War to slavery. Though it had the potential to eradicate slavery all across the united states, the Emancipation Proclamation actually did very little for the state of slavery in the 1860's. Photograph via http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/rbc/lprbscsm/scsm0489/001q.gif. Photograph from unknown.
The Battle of Gettysburg ended with a northern victory, but the death tolls removed any sense of joy from the aftermath of the battle. The north had won, but they had won at an extreme price of human lives. Photograph via http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/gettysburg/gettysburg-battle-emmittsburg.jpg. Photograph from unknown.
This image shows the norther bunkers during the long siege of Vicksburg. The north eventually won and it would turn out to be a huge victory, as it guaranteed the Union the Mississippi River, effectively dividing the confederacy. Photograph via http://www.kathleenernst.com/cms-assets/images/656634.shirleyhousevicksburg640w.jpg. Photograph from unknown.
At the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln pleaded with the Union to not just morn the many deaths at Gettysburg, but also to use the deaths as motivation for the rest of the war. Though the Gettysburg Address, was not thought of as a legendary speech when it was orated by Lincoln, it has evolved into one such speech. Photograph via http://minnesotabrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/lincolnatgettysburg.jpg. Photograph from the Smithsonian.
The Appomattox Courthouse was where Robert E. Lee surrendered on behalf of the Confederacy to Ulysses Grant. Though one would expect there to be jubilation within the northern ranks, Grant quickly dispelled any such emotions, as he solemnly rode his horse back to the camp site. Photograph via http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Appomattox_Court_House_Union_soldiers.jpg. Photograph from Library of Congress.
Abraham Lincoln masterfully guided the Union through the Civil War, but his tenure would not continue, as he was shot by John Wilkes Booth in the Ford Theater. Perhaps this ending was best for Lincoln's legacy, as he was immediately praised due to his victorious feat in the Civil War as a result of his death. Photograph via http://www.treasurenet.com/images/civilwar/CIVIL202.JPG. Photograph from unknown.