VA SOL’s:
VUS.7:Civil War and Reconstruction: 1860
to 1877
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War and
Reconstruction Era and its importance as a major turning point in
American history by
a)Identifying the major events and the roles of key leaders of the
Civil War Era, with emphasis on Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant,
Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglass;
VUS.1d
Develop perspectives of time and place.
NCSS Standards:
Time, Continuity, and Change
CIVIL WAR TIMELINE
WEBQUEST
Designed by:
Mrs. Blackburn
Introduction
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The Civil War began in 1860 with South Carolina’s
Secession, and “officially” began in 1861, with the
first shots being fired at Fort Sumter, South
Carolina. The Civil War was the war between the
Northern (Union) states and the Southern
(Confederate/Slave) states. The Civil War ended
with General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at
Appomattox Court House, VA in 1865.
Wilmer McLean
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Wilmer McLean -- The Beginning and the End
by Simone J. Pace
Wilmer McLean stood on the front porch of his two-story brick house awaiting the arrival of General Robert
E Lee. In the early afternoon on that day, General Lee, accompanied by Colonel Charles Marshall, arrived
on horseback. Wil extended his greetings to the two Confederate officers and invited them into his parlor.
And there, on April 9, 1865, they awaited the arrival of the other guests.
At about 1:30pm, a group of Union officers arrived on horseback. Among those were Lieutenant General
Ulysses S. Grant, Major General P. H. Sheridan, Major General E. O. C. Ord, Major General Wesley
Merritt, Major General George Armstrong Custer, and Captain Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President
Abraham Lincoln.
General Grant and several of the Union officers entered the parlor where General Lee was waiting. For the
next hour and a half, General Lee and General Grant discussed and came to agreement on the terms of
surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, which, for all practical purposes, ended the long,
bloody war.
Wil, a retired Major in the Virginia militia, was too old to be conscripted when that Civil War began. For
the majority of the war, he was a merchant primarily dealing in the buying and selling of sugar, but, at the
outset of the war in 1861, he was a farmer living in northern Virginia with his family.
The war struck close to home early on and McLean moved his family from northern to central Virginia out of
concern for their safety, settling eventually in the home at Appomattox Court House. The First Battle of
Manassas (Bull Run) took place on Wilmer McLean’s farm on July 21, 1861 and inspired the move. So, in a
most unusual twist of fate, the Civil War started in McLean’s backyard in 1861 and ended in his parlor in
1865.
Copyright November 2002 by Simone J. Pace
(http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=37)
Use this to answer questions 2 and 3:
The Task

The task you are about to
take on is that of creating
a timeline of the Civil War!
By creating this timeline
you will gain a better
understanding of the
sequence of events that
took place during the
American Civil War.
The Process
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Now complete the chart provided to you, make sure you follow the
directions on the top of the sheet!
You will use the following sites to conduct your research (and only
the following sites!...going to other sites will cause you to have to
use the textbook to complete the assignment)
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The History Place Presents a Nation Divided: The U.S. Civil War 18611865
Time Line of the Civil War, 1861
The American Civil War Homepage
United States Civil War
When you have found all of the information for each of the dates or
events that were provided to you let the teacher know and she will
start you on the next portion of the process.
The Process Continued…
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Next you will be given a timeline sheet to fill in with
some particular dates.
In the picture frame you will draw an image to help you
remember the event.
In the square below you will write a brief summary of
the event (include a date).
At the bottom of the page write a paragraph to
answer the following question:

What was the most important event of the Civil War? (it
may be one on this sheet, or it may be from your other
sheet)
Grading
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You need to hand in the chart
you filled in as you went
through the webquest and
searched the sites online.
Please make sure your name
is on this sheet!!!!
This assignment is worth 100
Points!
Conclusion

Following the completion of this assignment you will
have a good grasp of the timeline of events that
took place during the Civil War. Giving you a good
background to go on as we being our unit studying
the Civil War. Make sure to keep these
events/dates in mind as we march through the Civil
War unit, because you will see them again!