The Civil War began with the battle at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Shortly afterward, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee joined the Confederacy. The South felt they had the advantage with their well-trained army and leaders like Robert E. Lee. The North felt they had more resources, including factories to make weapons.

The Union Army formed the Anaconda Plan to block off Southern ports from weapons and supplies. The Confederacy received several warships from Britain and France, but the European nations did not recognize the Confederacy as an independent nation. Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War, was won by the Confederates under the command of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

The Civil War was a "total war"--soldiers and civilians were targets of both sides. New inventions, such as the Gatling machine gun, iron-covered battleships, submarines, railroads, and telegraphs made it the first modern war. The Union had developed a powerful navy while the Confederacy had few ships.