A Brief History of the Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865) was a
major conflict fought across the United States between the Union
(the Northern states) and the Confederacy (11 Southern states that
seceded).
Key Facts and Timeline
- Dates: April 12, 1861 (Confederate attack on Fort Sumter) to
May 26, 1865 (surrender and collapse of remaining Confederate
resistance).
- Primary Cause: Deep sectional divisions centered on
slavery, its expansion into new western territories, and the
Southern economy's reliance on enslaved labor.
Leadership
- Union: President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S.
Grant.
- Confederacy: President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E.
Lee.
Major Turning Points & Battles:
- First Battle of Bull Run (1861): Showed both sides the war
would be long and costly.
- Battle of Antietam (1862): The bloodiest single day in
American history; provided Lincoln the opening to issue the
Emancipation Proclamation.
- Battle of Gettysburg & Siege of Vicksburg (1863): Major
Union victories that turned the tide of the war.
- Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865): General Robert E.
Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant.
Outcome and Legacy
- Union Victory: Preserved the United States as a single,
indivisible nation.
- Abolition of Slavery: Led to the passage of the 13th
Amendment and the emancipation of approximately 4 million
enslaved African Americans.
- Human Cost: Resulted in an estimated 650,000 to 850,000
military deaths, making it the deadliest conflict in American
history.
