Discover America's National Parks The Civil War

At the start of the Civil War, many people on both sides believed the war would be over quickly and that their goals would be achieved with little bloodshed. That was not the case. The war lasted four long years and some 750,000 Americans lost their lives - more than in all other American wars combined. What caused the war? The North sought to preserve the Union and to abolish slavery. The South wanted to protect its peculiar institution of slavery. This booklet, filled with historical images, provides an overview of the Civil War and the Reconstruction period that followed.