There is of course plenty of interesting history both before and after, but that is not the subject here.
A common way to view a war is to view it as a series of major battles. In each case I ask where was it fought, and why? Who were the leaders. And of course who won and what the significance of the victory was.April 6-7, 1862 -- the battle of Shiloh in SW Tennessee. A narrow Union victory, and one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
September, 1863 -- Chickamauga in extreme NW Georgia. An important Confederate victory and the second bloodies battle of the war. At the time this was considered "the western theater". Chatanooga is just north in Tennessee and was the real prize in many ways.
Civil war Info / tom@mmto.org