Second American Civil War

The Second American Civil War is known as one of the most monumental conflicts to have occurred in the 21st Century, second only to the Pan-American War in 2013-2015.

Origins
The first hints of the conflict to come occurred with the arrests of key members of several anti-government militia groups planning domestic terror attacks. However, these arrests were treated as isolated incidents and little further inquiry was made.

On the morning of September 12, 2012, during an address to both houses of Congress by President Jacob Lincoln, civilian protesters furious at federal management of nationwide economic and social problems stormed the Capitol. After succeeding in an effort to break into the building, the protesters began exchanging small-arms fire with the Capitol Police. However, just before reaching the active chamber, a "suitcase nuke" was detonated in an elevated building just off the National Mall, destroying the center of Washington, D.C. and killing all present at the Capitol.

Speaker of the House Jeffrey Howard was in Colorado visiting the NORAD facility at the time of the nuclear attack. He survived, and was immediately sworn in as acting President. In the wake of the first-ever nuclear attack on U.S. soil as well as a raft of conventional terrorist attacks across the Northeast, Howard initiated a no-holds-barred counter-terrorism policy, including the curbing of some civil liberties and the formation of the U.S. Internal Security Agency. The measures were, however, temporary, being automatically repealed as soon as the next President was elected and sworn in. Seen as worse than the highly-controversial Patriot Act, the so-called Lincoln Act, named in memory of the recently-deceased president, was only tolerated by the public for the reason of its rapidly-approaching phaseout date.

In an unbelievable turn of events, however, it was revealed that President Lincoln had survived the nuclear attack. It was revealed that he was not even present at the Capitol on September 12, but on a last-minute trip to Raven's Rock as a precaution, as the attack had been suspected but not confirmed. Howard stepped aside willingly, and Lincoln retook his office. However, as he had not been elected, the Lincoln Act would not be repealed. Lincoln refused to unilaterally remove what he claimed to be a long-overdue means to fight domestic terrorism.

However, after South Carolina Governor Bruce Daniels began taking forceful action against the act, including threats