Conversation so far:
where was the civil war fought in virginia
Most of the battles in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War took place in Virginia because the Confederacy had to defend its national capital at Richmond.
when was the american civil war fought
The American Civil War (also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865.

Question: why was the war fought
Self-contained rewrite: why was the american civil war fought