The American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, was a conflict that took place between 1861 and 1865. It was a war that pitted the Northern states, which were predominantly Unionist, against the Southern states, which were predominantly secessionist. The war was fought over a number of issues, including states' rights, slavery, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states.
The immediate cause of the Civil War was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President in November 1860. Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party, which was opposed to the expansion of slavery. The Southern states, on the other hand, were largely dependent on slavery for their economic prosperity, and many of them saw Lincoln's election as a threat to their way of life.
In response to Lincoln's election, several Southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The first state to secede was South Carolina, which did so on December 20, 1860. Other states followed suit, including Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
The Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, a Union military installation located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. The attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of a four-year conflict that would claim the lives of more than 600,000 soldiers and civilians.
The Civil War was one of the deadliest conflicts in American history, and its legacy continues to shape the country to this day. It marked the end of slavery in the United States and helped to define the role of the federal government in relation to the states. It also set the stage for future conflicts over civil rights and social justice, and its impact is still felt in American society today.