T he Civil War produced at least two important outcomes. First, although it was not President Lincoln's intent, it freed slaves in the Confederate States. Second, it settled the question of whether states could secede from the Union. The causes of and the issues surrounding America's most costly war in terms of battlefield casualties are still controversial. A civil war is a struggle between two or more factions for control of the central government.
Modern examples are the conflicts in Lebanon, Liberia, and Angola.
In 1861, Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States, no more wanted to take over Washington, D.C., than George Washington wanted to take over London in 1776. The Confederate States were fighting for independence from the Union. Unrestrained Government History books most often say the war was fought to free the slaves. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. They also complained about federal laws not dissimilar to the Navigation Acts that helped bring on the War for Independence.