The year is 1861. Tensions between the industrial north and agrarian south have been strained for years. Immoral as it may be, slavery is an institution in the south and, like it or not, its major asset. As new states are added to the union, slavery there will likely be prohibited. The south will thus eventually lose federal political power while the north gains it. Additionally, burdensome tariffs which mainly affect the south have been doubled, hurting its economy. Abraham Lincoln, a northern lawyer and railroad man, is sworn in as the new President of the United States. During his inaugural address, Lincoln promises not to invade the south or curtail slavery as long as tariffs are collected there and handed over to the federal government. The south secedes nonetheless. Lincoln won’t let it go, and attempts to reinforce Fort Sumter in South Carolina, hoping to provoke the south into firing the first shots, and it does, leveling the fort. With war fever in the north at its zenith, the stage is set – for Lincoln’s invasion of the south! Lincoln's Invasion 1861-1865 is a highly playable card game of light complexity, with a small rules set. Over the course of 17 or 18 battles the USA and CSA will duke it out over the fate of the union. Event cards generally play out to the advantage of CSA in the beginning and USA toward the end, while diceless combat reduces the luck factor. There are tough decisions to be made, a bit of "look-ahead" and just the right amount of bluff. This is the perfect "lunchtime" ACW game for players who want to relive the conflict in less than an hour. —description from the designer