[originaltext] The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 in South Carol

The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 in South Carolina. The war took more than 600,000 lives, destroyed property valued at $5 billion and brought freedom to 4 million black slaves.
    In November, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President of the United States. Since Lincoln had become well known throughout the country for his anti-slavery views, his election caused a panic among the slave owners in the South. Early in February, 1861, seven states that seceded from the Union formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as President. So shortly after Lincoln had taken office, it was decided by his Cabinet that the Union was to be kept by force.
    The war went on for 4 bitter years, with ups and downs on both sides. In manpower, wealth, and resources, the North was much stronger. The south, however, had better generals and a better military position. So, the first two years of the Civil war went badly for the North. It was not until the summer of 1863 that the Union troops began to win decisive victories on the battlefields. On July 1, 1863, the Confederates met the Union army at the little town of Gettysburg in southern Pennsylvania. After three days of fighting, the southern forces weakened and were forced to retreat. The Battle of Gettysburg has been called the turning point of the war. Finally the Confederate army had to surrender, ending the war in May, 1865. As a result of the war, slavery was abolished and the Union was kept.