American Civil War

American Civil War

Introduction

The American Civil War (1861-1865) began on April 12, 1861, when confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It lasted until May 26, 1865. The war caused more than 600,000 deaths, destroyed over $5 billion in property, and brought freedom to four million African-American slaves. Some of the core issues raised by the war are still unresolved, meaning that the political and social legacies of the conflict have not been completely resolved over 140 years later.

Discussion and Analysis

Causes of the war

The reasons are complex and the American Civil War was the subject ...