Names of the American Civil War

In the United States, the common name for the American Civil War is simply the "Civil War". Outside the U.S., the name is called the American Civil War to avoid confusion with other civil wars like the English Civil War and the Spanish Civil War.

Although not usually used, the term "War Between the States" is sometimes mentioned. In the Southern United States, the war is also called by names like the War of Northern Aggression and the War for Southern Independence during the Jim Crow laws. In the Northern United States, the war is called the War of the Rebellion and the Great Rebellion.

 Common name 
 Civil War 
This name is universally used when describe the four years war in both the United States and outside the United States. For outsiders, it is commonly called the American Civil War to distinguish other civil wars. It is mentioned in the Library of Congress, US Congress, and many US government organizations.

 Other names 
 War Between the States 
The term "War Between the States" is sometimes used, but rarely.

The Confederates avoided using the term "Civil War" and instead calling it as the "War between the Confederate States of America and the United States of America" officially. Most European nations at the time also avoided using the term civil war and began using this term. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the war as the "four-year War Between the States".
 War Against Northern Aggression 
Also known as the War for Southern Independence, this term was especially used during the Jim Crow laws in Southern United States. This term represents the so-called 'Lost Cause' among Southern revisionists, and to show that the Northerns were the 'bad guys' in the war.
 War of the Rebellion 
Also called the War of the Slaveholders' Rebellion, many people, including Southern Unionists and US officials commonly refer to the Confederates as "rebels". The US war records refer to the war as the "War of the Rebellion". The records were compiled by the United States Department of War in a 127-volume collection, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Historians usually refer to the collection as the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.

 References 

Category:American Civil War
Category:Terminology