American Civil War
Civil war over secession and slavery that preserved the Union and ended legal slavery in the United States.
Historical overview
Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery in the United States, which they saw as threatened because of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the growing abolitionist movement in the North. The war lasted a little over four years, ending with Union victory, the dissolution of the Confederacy and the abolition of slavery.
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National unification and civil wars
Civil wars, imperial rebellions and European unification wars transform the United States, China, Italy and Germany.
German unification redraws Central Europe. The American Civil War preserves the United States and ends legal slavery.