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American Civil War: Secession, Bull Run and the Union response, May–August 1861

When
1861
Where
Boggy Depot, Indian Territory; Corrick's Ford; Manassas, Virginia
Episodes
3

In May 1861, North Carolina seceded and Virginia ratified its secession, while Kentucky proclaimed neutrality. By July, the Confederacy signed treaties with Choctaws and Chickasaws, and Union forces won at Corrick's Ford. The First Battle of Bull Run resulted in a Confederate victory, prompting Congress to pass the Crittenden–Johnson Resolution and McClellan to assume command. In August, the Revenue Act introduced an income tax to fund the war effort.

Episodes

  1. July 12, 1861 · Boggy Depot, Indian TerritoryConfederate Treaty with Choctaws and Chickasaws

    The Confederacy signed a treaty with the Choctaws and Chickasaws in Indian Territory on July 12, 1861.

  2. July 13, 1861 · Corrick's FordBattle of Corrick's Ford

    Union forces won the Battle of Corrick's Ford on July 13, 1861, in western Virginia.

  3. July 21, 1861 · Manassas, VirginiaFirst Battle of Bull Run

    The first major battle of the Civil War ended in a Confederate victory on July 21, 1861.

Background and detail

Secession and Neutrality. North Carolina seceded on May 20, 1861, following Virginia's referendum ratification on May 23. Kentucky pursued a policy of neutrality, which lasted until Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk violated it on September 4, 1861, by ordering Brigadier General Gideon Johnson Pillow to occupy Columbus. The Virginia Secession Convention had initially returned a Unionist majority, but the referendum approved secession by a significant margin, reflecting shifting political sentiments in the Upper South.

Confederate Diplomacy and Early Skirmishes. In July 1861, the Confederacy signed a treaty with the Choctaws and Chickasaws in Indian Territory. On July 13, Union forces achieved a victory at Corrick's Ford in western Virginia. These events occurred alongside the buildup of forces near Manassas, setting the stage for the first major battle of the war.

Union Response and Fiscal Measures. Following the Confederate victory at Bull Run, the U.S. Congress passed the Crittenden–Johnson Resolution on July 25, affirming the war's purpose was to preserve the Union. George B. McClellan assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on July 26. The Revenue Act of 1861, passed on August 5, introduced an income tax to support the war effort.

People involved

Sources

  1. North Carolina in the American Civil War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-20
  2. Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-16
  3. Kentucky in the American Civil War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
  4. Choctaw in the American Civil War Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-31
  5. Battle of Corrick's Ford Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-19
  6. First Battle of Bull Run Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-05
  7. Crittenden–Johnson Resolution Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-10
  8. Revenue Act of 1861 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.