The war started after 11 Southern states separated themselves from the United States and formed their own government. Their army fought the forces of the U.S. government. The Civil War threatened to break up the United States. It is also called the War Between the States.

What was the Civil War about simple?

The American Civil War was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, a collection of eleven southern states that left the Union in 1860 and 1861. The conflict began primarily as a result of the long-standing disagreement over the institution of slavery.

How did the Civil War end for kids?

The Fighting



The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865 when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

What were the causes of the Civil War for kids?

Causes of the Civil War

  • Slavery. At the heart of the divide between the North and the South was slavery.
  • States’ Rights. The idea of states’ rights was not new to the Civil War.
  • Expansion.
  • Industry vs.
  • Bleeding Kansas.
  • Abraham Lincoln.
  • Secession.
  • Activities.


What are 4 main causes of the Civil War?

The biggest cause of the Civil War was the humanitarian and economic issue of slavery. However, the four biggest factors of causation were slavery, states vs federal rights, economics, and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

What are the 3 main causes of the Civil War?

For more than 80 years, people in the Northern and Southern states had been debating the issues that ultimately led to war: economic policies and practices, cultural values, the extent and reach of the Federal government, and, most importantly, the role of slavery within American society.

Why is it called civil war?

The term “civil war” comes from the Latin phrase bellum civile, which translates to “war of or pertaining to civilians,” and was first used to describe the Roman civil wars of the 1st century BCE.

Who actually won the Civil War?

The Union

The Union won the American Civil War. The war effectively ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

Why did the Civil War end slavery?

Slavery ended in and with the Civil War both because slaves sought their own freedom and because the Union Army demonstrated that the Confederate government could not make good on its promise to protect the property rights whites held in slavery.

What were 3 civil war issues?



Contents. The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights and westward expansion.

Why civil war was important?

The Civil War had a greater impact on American society and the polity than any other event in the country’s history. It was also the most traumatic experience endured by any generation of Americans. At least 620,000 soldiers lost their lives in the war, 2 percent of the American population in 1861.

What are 10 facts about the Civil War?

10 Surprising Civil War Facts

  • One-third of the soldiers who fought for the Union Army were immigrants, and nearly one in 10 was African American.
  • Black Union soldiers refused their salaries for 18 months to protest being paid lower wages than white soldiers.
  • Harriet Tubman led a raid to free slaves during the Civil War.

What best describes civil war?

1) Civil war refers to a violent conflict between organized groups within a country that are fighting over control of the government, one side’s separatist goals, or some divisive government policy.

What is the Civil War best known for?



The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and much of the South left in ruin.

What are some basic facts about the Civil War?

It was the deadliest war in American history. There were around 210,000 soldiers killed in action and 625,000 total dead. Thirty percent of all Southern white males between the ages of 18 and 40 died in the war. Around 9 million people lived in the Southern states at the time of the Civil War.

How did the civil wars start summary?

Synopsis. Walter argues that the United States is in danger of becoming an autocracy, although she does not expect a conflict in the United States like the American Civil War in terms of scale. In comparison, she analyzes the circumstances that led to the conflicts in Yugoslavia, the Philippines, and Iraq.