This document summarizes the changing narratives around the causes and outcomes of the American Civil War over time. It discusses how the South initially seceded to protect slavery, while the North fought to preserve the Union. After the Emancipation Proclamation, the goal of freeing slaves became more central to the North's efforts. However, after Reconstruction ended, the dominant view in the South was the "Lost Cause" narrative that portrayed the war as being over states' rights rather than slavery. This narrative was increasingly challenged in the 20th century by the Civil Rights Movement.