Existing comment:
1861-1865
Civil War
The debate over slavery turned violent during the 1850s. Pro- and anti-slavery settlers in the Kansas Territory fought a year-long running battle known as "Bleeding Kansas." An abortive attempt at a slave rebellion in Virginia, followed closely by Abraham Lincoln's election as president in 1860, made the Civil War inevitable. Although roughly 10% of Union forces were African American, they served in segregated units led by white officers. |