The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865. It was fought between the United States (the Union) and several Southern states that had seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America.
What caused the war?
- Slavery and its expansion into new territories and states
- Disagreements over states' rights and how the federal government should treat new states
- Economic and political tensions between the North and South
Who fought?
- The Union — the United States, mainly from the North
- The Confederacy — 11 Southern states that seceded
- Key leaders: President Abraham Lincoln (Union) and President Jefferson Davis (Confederacy); generals like Ulysses S. Grant (Union) and Robert E. Lee (Confederacy)
Major events and turning points
- 1861: The war begins after Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina
- 1862-1863: Battles such as Antietam and Vicksburg, and the Emancipation Proclamation
- 1863: Battle of Gettysburg is a major turning point in the war
- 1865: The Union defeats the Confederacy; Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House; the 13th Amendment abolishes slavery
What changed after the war?
The war ended slavery in the United States and increased federal power over the states. It led to Reconstruction efforts to rebuild the South and protect newly freed people.
Key terms to know
- Union: the states that did not secede
- Confederacy: the 11 seceded states
- Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln's 1863 order freeing enslaved people in Confederate areas
- 13th Amendment: banned slavery in the United States