as you explore this page, consider the significance of this information on the election of 1864.
election facts:
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1864 timeline:
February 14-20:
Union captures and occupies Meridian Mississippi. This site was important for its industrial capabilities and its capture hurt the Confederacy's ability to supply its armies in the Deep South. March 3: Ulysses S. Grant takes command of all Union Armies. Grant becomes the fourth (and final) general-in-chief after Lincoln relieved Winfield Scott, George B. McClellan, and Henry Halleck of their command. March-June: Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign was a series of bloody battles that pitted Grant and Robert E. Lee against each other. While both sides suffered heavily casualties, the campaign is generally considered a Union victory as it was a heavy blow to the already suffering Confederacy and it paved the way for the eventual capture of Richmond in 1865. May 7: Beginning of Atlanta campaign; General William T. Sherman marches south from Tennessee to Georgia with the goal of capturing Atlanta June 7: John C. Fremont accepts the Radical Democracy Party nomination for president June 8: Lincoln receives the National Union Party nomination for president August 31: McClellan receives the Democratic Party nomination for president September: Black soldiers receive equal pay as white soldiers. Black soldiers had previously been paid $10/month (and were charged a $3/month laundering fee) compared to $13/month for white soldiers. September 2: General Sherman captures the city of Atlanta September 22: John C. Fremont, the Radical Democracy nominee, withdraws from the race November 8: Lincoln reelected for a second term, earning 212 electoral votes. McClellan earns 21. |
University of virginia professor gary gallagher on the election of 1864
In this video, Historian Gary Gallagher discusses the Election of 1864, including the stark choice of candidates voters faced and the significance the election had on the Civil War. Gallagher's argument demonstrates how the election revealed the voters' opinions on the war itself.