<Li> Star of the West; Battle of Fort Sumter </Li> <Li> Secession; Confederate States </Li> <P> This timeline of events leading up to the American Civil War describes and links to narrative articles and references about many of the events and issues which historians recognize as origins and causes of the Civil War . The pre-Civil War events can be roughly divided into a period encompassing the long term build - up over many decades and a period encompassing the five - month build to war immediately after the election of Abraham Lincoln as President in the Election of 1860 which culminated in the Fall of Fort Sumter (April 1861). </P> <P> Since the early colonial period in Virginia, slavery had been a part of the socioeconomic system of British North America and was recognized in the Thirteen Colonies at the time of the United States' Declaration of Independence (1776). Since then, events and statements by politicians and others brought forth differences, tensions and divisions between the people of the slave states of the Southern United States and the people of the free states of the Northern United States (including Western states) over the topics of slavery . The large underlying issue from which other issues developed was whether slavery should be retained and even expanded to other areas or whether it should be contained and eventually abolished . Over many decades, these issues and divisions became increasingly irreconcilable and contentious . </P>

What event was the start of the civil war