Though the Civil War lasted 4 long years and resulted in over 600,000 deaths and 3,000,000 casualties of both northern and southern young men, the nation was reborn as one in 1865 at the close of the war. From that time on, the United States would always be referred to with a singular verb: The United States IS one country.
I hope this made you think about how the people lived during this terrible time in our history. In this day and age, in our country, we can hardly imagine what it was like to witness the killing and suffering of so many people. As I stood on the battlefields, I tried to envision what went on in that very place I was standing. It staggers the mind.
I hope my Web site encourages you to visit some of the links I have included in my source page or even entice you to personally visit a Civil War battlefield. If you do want to visit one of the battlefields, please take a look at my recommendation page for each battlefield. They include tips on what to see and what to do.