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[Introduction To] The Thin Light Of Freedom: The Civil War And Emancipation In The Heart Of America, Edward L. Ayers

Bookshelf

A landmark Civil War history told from a fresh, deeply researched ground-level perspective.

At the crux of America’s history stand two astounding events: the immediate and complete destruction of the most powerful system of slavery in the modern world, followed by a political reconstruction in which new constitutions established the fundamental rights of citizens for formerly enslaved people. Few people living in 1860 would have dared imagine either event, and yet, in retrospect, both seem to have been inevitable.

In a beautifully crafted narrative, Edward L. Ayers restores the drama of the unexpected to the history of the Civil War. …

Wiley Nessmith Family Letters, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of correspondence from Wiley Nessmith to his wife, Martha Ann Nesmith written during the Civil War from 1862-1865. Also included are typed transcripts, published and unpublished materials on the Nessmith family, and correspondence between Franklyn Hatch and the Nessmith family concerning the letters.

Find this collection in the University Libraries' catalog.