The American Civil War resulted from a dispute over slavery. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln, who had earned a reputation as an opponent of slavery, won election to the U.S. presidency. Southerners feared Lincoln would restrict or end slavery. Alarmed by this prospect, 11 Southern states seceded from the Union in the early l860's. The Northern states insisted that the South had no right to secede and that the Union must be preserved at all costs. On April 12, 1861, war broke out between the North and South.<NP> The South fought valiantly to defend its cause. However, the North won the war in 1865. Its victory preserved the Union. Soon after the war, slavery was outlawed throughout the United States.<NP> The Civil War took more American lives than any other war. It left large parts of the South in ruins, and created long-lasting feelings of bitterness between the North and South.
