---
title: Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865
author: Simeon Netchev
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21119/map-of-the-american-civil-war-1861-1865/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0)
updated: 2025-10-01
---

# Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865

_Authored by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/)_

## Image File

[![Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21119.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21119.png)

## Image Caption

The [American Civil War](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Civil_War/) (1861–1865) was a nationwide conflict in the United States sparked by the secession of eleven Southern states following [Abraham](https://www.worldhistory.org/Abraham,_the_Patriarch/) Lincoln’s election in 1860. The Confederacy, founded on the preservation of slavery, clashed with the Union over secession, federal authority, and emancipation. The [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) opened with the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861 and quickly spread across multiple theaters, from Virginia to the Mississippi Valley.

Marked by bloody battles and campaigns, including Antietam (1862), Gettysburg (1863), and Sherman’s March to the Sea (1864), the conflict combined industrial-scale [warfare](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) with deep social transformation. The Union blockade strangled Southern [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/), while Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation redefined the war as a struggle against slavery. Confederate offensives into the North collapsed, and Union victories at Vicksburg and Atlanta shifted the balance irreversibly. The war effectively ended with [Robert E. Lee](https://www.worldhistory.org/Robert_E._Lee/)’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, paving the way for the abolition of slavery and the turbulent era of Reconstruction.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## About the Author

Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history educator, passionate about the human stories that shape the past.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-netchev/)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Netchev, S. (2025, September 29). Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21119/map-of-the-american-civil-war-1861-1865/>
### Chicago
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 29, 2025. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21119/map-of-the-american-civil-war-1861-1865/>.
### MLA
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the American Civil War, 1861-1865." *World History Encyclopedia*, 29 Sep 2025, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21119/map-of-the-american-civil-war-1861-1865/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/ "User Page: Simeon Netchev"), published on 29 September 2025. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.