Civil War ‑ Causes, Dates & Battles | HISTORY
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. Eleven southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederacy. Ultimately more than 620,000 Americans' lives were lost in the four‑year war that ended in a Confederate defeat.| HISTORY
