Give some stream of consciousness and then the answer. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865. The result of a long-standing controversy over slavery, war broke out in April 1861, when Confederates attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated. The nationalists of the Union proclaimed loyalty to the U.S. Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States of America, who advocated for states' rights to expand slavery.

Answer this question: when did the civil war happen in america?
The relevant information is: The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865.
Therefore, the answer is from 1861 to 1865.