The Civil War

The American CIVIL WAR was fought from 1861 to 1865, making it one of the most defining conflicts in United States history. At its core, the war was a battle over the institution of SLAVERY, which had divided the nation along geographic, economic, and moral lines for decades. The Southern states, which depended heavily on enslaved labor to sustain their agricultural ECONOMY, sought to preserve and expand the practice. The Northern states, increasingly industrialized and politically opposed to slavery's expansion, stood firmly against it. This fundamental tension ultimately tore the country in two and ignited four years of devastating armed conflict.