American Civil War: Causes, Dates & Battles | HISTORY Civil War The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins. Featured Overview The Civil War and Its Legacy Historians and experts look at the role of slavery in the Civil War and its effect on the U.S. from Reconstruction through the present day. 2:58m watch Illustration by Eduardo Ramón Trejo. Photos from Getty Images. Featured Overview The Civil War and Its Legacy Historians and experts look at the role of slavery in the Civil War and its effect on the U.S. from Reconstruction through the present day. 2:58m watch Start Here 9 Events That Led to the Civil War The Civil War was a conflict many years in the making. 7 Major Civil War Battles These battles were among the most pivotal in America's bloodiest conflict. How Photos from the Battle of Antietam Revealed the American Civil War’s Horrors Images of the bloodiest battle in U.S. history shocked the public and revealed the war’s gruesome reality. Why the Gettysburg Address Is One of the Most Famous Speeches in History Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Gettysburg Address contains fewer than 275 words. How did such a short speech carry such a long-lasting impact? Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation in this scene from "The March to War." Stream Now 2:06m watch 3 Key Civil War Battles First Battle of Bull Run (1861) In the war’s first major battle, Union forces were routed, with major casualties on both sides. It became clear that the struggle would be longer and more grisly than Americans had expected. Antietam (1862) The deadliest one-day battle in all of American military history. Although it ended in a stalemate, Antietam gave President Lincoln enough confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which redefined the Civil War. Gettysburg (1863) The Union’s eventual victory in the Battle of Gettysburg gave the North a major morale boost and put a definitive end to Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s bold plan to invade the North. Explore All Related Topics AllArticlesVideos Civil War Civil War FiguresCivil War BattlesConfederate States of AmericaReconstructionCivil War Politics + 6 moreSee All Related Subtopics Early Absentee Voting in America Dates Back to the Civil War U.S. armed forces have long used the mail to cast their ballots from the front lines. Native Americans Have General Sherman to Thank for Their Exile to Reservations The Civil War hero brought his scorched-earth policy to the Plains—and wiped out Native Americans’ food supply. What Happened at the First Battle of Bull Run? Hopes for a quick end to the Civil War were shattered on July 21, 1861, when Union and Confederate forces clashed in northern Virginia. Juneteenth: Why It Took More Than 2 Years for Emancipation to Reach Texas Enslaved people in Texas did not gain their freedom under the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation until June 1865. Advertisement Reconstruction Reconstruction was an effort to integrate Black Americans into society after the Civil War. The Overlooked Role of Asian Soldiers in the Civil War The number of Asian soldiers who enlisted, fought and died in the Civil War—on both sides of the conflict—was proportionally high to the population. 6 Civil War Battles After Appomattox Robert E. Lee’s surrender did not officially end the Civil War. Find out where the fighting continued in the weeks after Appomattox. Violence in Congress Before the Civil War: From Canings and Stabbings to Murder Nineteenth-century congressmen went to work carrying pistols and bowie knives—and sometimes used them on colleagues. Advertisement Advertisement Mary Surratt Mary Surratt was an American boarding house owner who was convicted of taking part in the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Sentenced to death, she was hanged, becoming the first woman executed by the United States federal government. Civil WarThe First Woman to Receive the Medal of Honor Mary Edwards Walker was the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor, but her fight for recognition extended well beyond the war. 1:00m watch Civil WarCivil War Photographs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shows off some photographs and illustrations from the civil war. 1:34m watch Civil WarHistory Shorts: Tailgating Started During a Civil War Battle Before beer and barbecues, the first tailgate happened in 1861—on a Virginia battlefield during the First Battle of Bull Run. 1:00m watch Advertisement Civil WarMassive Siege of Vicksburg Leads to Union Victory Grant surrounds and sieges Vicksburg, leading to a crucial victory for the Union. 10:34m watch Civil WarAmerican Civil War History If you had just one word to describe the Civil War, what would it be? 1:13m watch How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Help Win the Civil War Lincoln was so taken with the new technology—which he called 'lightning messages'—that he sometimes slept on a cot in the telegraph office during major battles. Mary Chesnut Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut, (1823-1886) was the author of A Diary from Dixie, an insightful view of Southern life and leadership during the American Civil War. In 1840 she married James Chesnut, Jr., who later served as a U.S. senator from South Carolin... Load more Advertisement