The American Civil War happened between 1861 and 1865. It was a war between the northern states (the Union) and the southern states (the Confederacy). The main reason for the war was slavery.
In the 1800s, the northern states did not want slavery, but the southern states depended on it for farming. The South wanted to keep slavery because their economy relied on enslaved people to work on large farms, growing crops like cotton.
When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1860, he wanted to stop slavery from spreading to new parts of the country. The southern states did not like this, so they decided to leave the United States and form their own country, called the Confederate States of America.
The war started in April 1861 when the Confederate army attacked Fort Sumter, a Union fort in South Carolina. Both sides fought hard, and the war lasted for four years.
At first, the North fought to keep the country together. But as the war continued, ending slavery became a big goal for the Union.
In 1863, President Lincoln made a very important announcement called the Emancipation Proclamation. This said that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. While it didn’t free all enslaved people immediately, it showed that the Union was serious about ending slavery. It also allowed African Americans to join the Union army, which helped them win the war.
The war ended in 1865 when the Union defeated the Confederacy. After the war, a new law called the 13th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. This law made slavery illegal in the United States.
Even though slavery was over, life was still very hard for African Americans. Many faced discrimination and unfair treatment. It took many more years for African Americans to get equal rights, and the fight for fairness continues today.
The Civil War and the end of slavery are important because they changed America forever. They remind us how important it is to treat everyone equally and to fight for what is right.
The American Civil War was a difficult time in history, but it led to the end of slavery. It showed the world that freedom and equality are worth fighting for. Learning about this history helps us understand the past and work toward a better future.