The American Civil War did not occur within a vacuum. Years of political discourse, regional maneuvering, and ideological dueling between the northern and southern states led to the break up of the United States and the war that followed. African slavery, existent in America since early colonial days, stood at the heart of the political…

The American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 (when Confederates attacked the U.S. Fort Sumter off the coast of South Carolina) to April 9, 1865 (Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia). In between, as many as 8,000 hostile engagements took place between Union and Confederate forces. Included…

Outside of the battles and the politics, the American Civil War also took place in the context of religion, society, culture and economics Following are some online resources for a general understanding of these broader dimensions of the war: Religion and the American Civil War (compiled by Bruce Gourley) Pre-Civil War American Culture (compiled by…