The American Civil War was an armed conflict between Union and Confederate forces, more commonly referred to as the ‘the North’ and ‘the South’, respectively. The war was primarily fought due to opposing views on slavery and the expansion of the slave trade into western territories. After four years, the war ended in victory for the Union forces who opposed slavery, which resulted in the abolition of slavery, the collapse of the Confederacy, and approximately four million enslaved Black people being freed.

Secession – the withdrawal of 11 Southern states in which slaveholding was legal – preceded the war. Taking place during 1860 and 1861 following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, it caused an outbreak of hostilities after decades of growing friction. The economy of Northern states had been diversifying, with investments in transportation and factories. Antislavery sentiment grew stronger, while the Southern economy continued to be reliant on plantations. The majority of the wealthiest people in the country were Southerners, and their investments were made primarily in slavery rather than in manufacturing and railroads.