With one exception, the wars in which the United States has engaged since its inception involved our nation against one or more external adversaries. That exception, the American Civil War (1861-1865), still elicits an emotional response among our citizens due to the inherent tragedy connected to a nation at war with itself – the whole "brother against brother" dynamic that is recalled whenever discussions of this conflict arise.
One less common aspect of our Civil War (as compared to other nations that have endured civil wars) is that America was geographically divided at the time by the Mason-Dixon line, which divided the Union and Confederate states. This more resembled traditional military conflicts with external adversaries, and has colored many Americans' idea of what a civil war is like. Unlike our Civil War, civil wars in most nations generally involve disparate or dissident factions fighting against each other and/or whatever regime is holding power.
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