1861 – 1865
The bloodiest war in United States history began after eleven slaveholding states seceded to preserve slavery and formed the Confederate States of America. The Union initially fought to restore the United States, while emancipation became a formal war aim in 1863 and Black military service transformed the struggle. Four years of industrial-scale warfare destroyed slavery but left unresolved contests over citizenship, federal power, white supremacy, and the meaning of freedom during Reconstruction.
Chapter-by-chapter narrative with maps, primary sources, and key events.
Explore battles on a live map with a timeline slider and territory overlays.
Deep-dive into every major engagement — commanders, casualties, significance.
Biographical flip cards with real portraits, facts, and full biography pages.
Trace each figure's full life journey — birth, education, battles, and death — on a live map.
Scroll-driven visualization of casualties — each dot a thousand lives.
Weapons, war machines, and the military innovations that defined how this conflict was fought.
Cause-and-effect chains tracing the war's long shadow on history.
War crimes, massacres, and the darkest chapters of this conflict — documented for history.
The bloodiest war in United States history began after eleven slaveholding states seceded to preserve slavery and formed the Confederate States of America. The Union initially fought to restore the United States, while emancipation became a formal war aim in 1863 and Black military service transformed the struggle. Four years of industrial-scale warfare destroyed slavery but left unresolved contests over citizenship, federal power, white supremacy, and the meaning of freedom during Reconstruction.
The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865.
The American Civil War was fought between Union and Confederacy.
An estimated 670,000 people died in The American Civil War, including roughly 620,000 military and 50,000 civilian deaths. Figures are scholarly estimates and vary by source.
Major engagements included Siege of Petersburg, Fall of Atlanta, Battle of Gettysburg, and Siege of Vicksburg.