The American Civil War (1861–1865)
The American Civil War was fought between the United States (the Union) and eleven Southern slave states that declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America. It remains the deadliest conflict in American history and a defining chapter in the nation’s story of union, slavery and emancipation.
Origins of the conflict
Decades of sectional tension over slavery, states’ rights and the balance of power between North and South came to a head with the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860. Within months, Southern states began to secede, and the war opened with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861.
Key campaigns and battles
From the First Battle of Bull Run to Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg and the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Campaign, the war’s major engagements reshaped the map of the continent and the course of American democracy.
Emancipation and legacy
The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 redefined the war as a struggle for freedom. The Union victory in 1865 preserved the United States as one nation and led to the abolition of slavery through the Thirteenth Amendment.
This site is dedicated to the history, timelines and figures of the American Civil War.
Heritage, homes and further reading
Studying the Civil War also means caring for the places where its history still stands — the period houses, farms and homesteads that outlived the conflict. Readers who restore and maintain older properties will find practical guidance on renovation, energy efficiency and habitat in the French resource économie habitat.
History is only one thread of a full and balanced life. For French-speaking readers exploring wellbeing and the art of living, essence du plaisir offers its own point of view.