The American Civil War (1861-65) was a conflict between the northern states (the Union) and the southern states (who broke away to form the Confederacy).
North - The Union states wanted new states in the West to be free of slavery, with farms worked by free people
South - The Confederate states wanted slavery to be legal in new Western states, like it was in the South
Who won the civil war?
Union
The war had big knock-on effects for the West:
When the southern states broke away from the USA in 1861, the northern states were able to pass the Homestead Act and the Pacific Railroad Act.
The South was devastated by war and many people were against freeing the slaves. These economic problems and social changes encouraged people to start a new life in the West.
