War between states

The most common name for the American Civil War in modern American usage is simply "The Civil War". Although rarely used during the war, the term "War Between the States" became widespread afterward in the Southern United States. During and immediately after the war, Northern historians often used the terms "War of the Rebellion" or "The Great Rebellion", and the Confederate term was "War for Southern Independence", which regained some currency in the 20th century but has since fallen out of use. The name "Slaveholders' Rebellion" was used by Frederick Douglass and appeared in newspaper articles during that era. "Freedom War" is used to celebrate the war's effect of ending slavery in the United States.

Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated Jun 16, 2026.