The American Civil War, which began between 1861 and 1865, has gone down in history as one of the most significant events to have occurred in the United States of America, thus far. At the time, questions arose about how the United States had ever come so close to hitting rock bottom, especially since this was a conflict within the country itself. The hostility steadily grew over the years, increasingly dividing the nation and ultimately leading to the Twelfth Day of April 1861 at Fort Sumter, North Carolina. The American Civil War was an unstoppable battle, and aside from the obvious physical effects of the war, disagreements over states' rights, the act of slavery, and rising tariffs played a crucial role in the division of the country as well as the conflicts that followed. At the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, he reflects on the beginning of his presidency: “All thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. Everyone feared him, everyone tried to avoid him. Both parties deplored the war. Nonetheless, war came.”[1]A civil war is a struggle for power within a nation.[2] Paradoxically, the American Civil War had nothing of the sort. It wasn't a war over who would rule the United States. The South simply wanted independence from the Union and to unite to form the Confederacy. However, from the North's perspective, it was a Southern War of Secession. In 1858, William H. Seward, the future Secretary of State, described the differences between the North and the South as an “irrepressible conflict.” The misunderstood perspectives of both sides had become broader and more violent, and by... middle of paper ...... led to what we now know as the American Civil War. The war began with the secession of eleven Southern states from the Union and the formation of the Confederate States of America. The first two years of the Civil War showed great hope for Southern troops after they achieved numerous victories. Those hopes soon turned to doubts after heavy losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863. From then on, Northern troops continued to conquer the South, where they finally surrendered in April 1865.[?] The War That At one time it was thought to be over. be completely avoidable, turned into the exact opposite and much worse. The American Civil War was the bloodiest American war and cost more than 600,000 lives, more casualties than the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War combined. This war will forever be known as the most significant event in American history.