Surrender of Fort Sumter
Union forces agree to surrender Fort Sumter after the bombardment
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1861 in United States of America — Page 2
Explore 56 historical events and records for United States of America in 1861.
Historical records for United States of America in 1861
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 16 of 56 unique records.
56Unique records
2 of 2Page
12Named events on this page
6Named people on this page
6Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Slave State Secession
North Carolina convention votes to secede from the Union
National Loan Act
Lincoln signs legislation authorizing federal borrowing and treasury notes
Brigadier General
Appointed Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Appointed Brigadier General
Captain
Appointed Captain in the Confederate Army
Captain
Appointed Captain in the Confederate Army
Civil War Correspondence Expands
The New York Times reported on the outbreak of the American Civil War as demand for battlefield and political news surged.
Colonel
Appointed Captain in the 1st Virginia Cavalry
Colonel
Appointed Captain in the 1st Virginia Cavalry
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander in Chief
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander in Chief
Committee on Elections
Chairs the House Committee on Elections during the Civil War Congresses.
President of United States of America
Appointed President of the 7 Confederate States of America
Resignation of James Ewell Brown Stewart
Resigns from the US Army after Virginia cedes from the Union
Secession Crisis
Lincolns election intensifies the secession crisis before his inauguration
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.