A Short History of the American Civil War

The American Civil War (1861—65) remains a searing event in the collective consciousness of the United States. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts in modern history, claiming the lives of at least 600,000 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians and slaves. The Civil War was also one of the world's first truly industrial conflicts, involving railroads, the telegraph, steamships and mass—manufactured weaponry. The eventual victory of the Union over the Confederacy rang the death—knell f...