What was the main outcome of the Civil War?

The main outcome of the Civil War was the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery. This transformative conflict, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was fought primarily over issues related to states' rights and slavery. The war ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Confederate States, which sought to break away from the Union.

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared that all enslaved people in the Confederate states were to be set free. This legal change fundamentally altered the status of slavery in the United States. Following the war, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1865, which officially abolished slavery throughout the entire country. Thus, the outcome is significant not only for reuniting the nation but also for advancing civil rights by permanently ending the institution of slavery, which had been a contentious issue in American society.

In contrast, the other choices do not correctly reflect the primary consequences of the Civil War. The expansion of slavery directly contradicts the outcome of the war. The rise of the Confederacy, while relevant as a pre-war condition, represents a failed attempt to secede rather than an outcome. The signing of the Treaty of Paris is historically significant but