Some say simplistically that the Civil War was fought over slavery. Unfortunately, there is no 'simple' reason. The causes of the war were a complex series of events, including slavery, which began long before the first shot was fired. Competing nationalism, political turmoil, the definition of freedom, the preservation of the Union, the fate of slavery and the structure of our society and economy could all be listed as significant contributing factors in America's bloodiest …showed first 75 words of 1563 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1563 total…George Armstrong Custer and others adapted very quickly from killing rebels to the genocide of Native Americans. The South was 'reconstructed' for the next 87 years. Southerners formed 'brotherhoods' that featured white robes, lynchings and unanimous support for Democratic candidates in the South and West. Confederate Cavalry General John B. Gordon, reputed leader of this Ku Klux Klan, was elected governor of Georgia. Blacks struggled for nearly one hundred years to gain legal and economic equality.