Civil War

Definition

The Civil War was a major conflict fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865 between Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) primarily over issues related to slavery and state sovereignty.

Related terms

Abraham Lincoln: The 16th U.S. President who served during the Civil War; he issued Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in Confederate-held territories.

Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1862, declaring that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be set free.

Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War when Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union.