The American Civil War: Causes, Major Battles and Lasting Impact of American's Bloodiest Conflict

A nation divided. Four years of war. More than half a million dead. One conflict that changed the United States forever.The American Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in the nation's history. From the first shots at Fort Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox, Union and Confederate armies fought across a continent in a war that would decide whether the United States survived - and whether slavery would continue within it.The American Civil War: One Hour Wars is a fast-moving, accessible guide to the people, battles and decisions that shaped the conflict. Designed to give readers a clear overview in around an hour, it focuses on the essential story without getting lost in endless military detail.Follow the war from Lincoln's election and Southern secession through Bull Run, Shiloh and Antietam, before reaching the great turning points at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Discover how Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson shaped the fighting, how emancipation transformed the purpose of the war, and why the Union's enormous advantages took four bloody years to produce victory.Along the way, discover: - Why slavery and western expansion drove the United States towards war- How the Confederacy hoped to defeat a much larger and wealthier Union- Why Antietam, Gettysburg and Vicksburg changed the direction of the conflict- How Black soldiers helped turn the war into a fight for freedom- Why Grant's relentless campaigns finally trapped Lee- How Sherman carried the war deep into the Confederate heartland- Why the Union won - and why the Confederacy ultimately collapsed- How the Civil War destroyed slavery and transformed the United States- Why Reconstruction left some of the war's biggest questions unresolvedClear, engaging and written for the general reader, The American Civil War: One Hour Wars is not intended to be an exhaustive history of every regiment, general or skirmish. Instead, it provides the essential story of one of history's defining conflicts - the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to understand the American Civil War without spending weeks reading about it.One war. One hour. The story you need to know.