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Full-Text Articles in Political History
The United States On The Eve Of The Civil War, Edward L. Ayers
The United States On The Eve Of The Civil War, Edward L. Ayers
History Faculty Publications
The four-year war that eventually descended on the nation seemed impossible only months before it began. Powerful conflicts pulled the United States apart in the decades before 1860, but shared interests, cultures, and identities tied the country together, sometimes in new ways. So confident were they in the future that Americans expected that the forces of cohesion would triumph over the forces of division.
The American Civil War, Emancipation, And Reconstruction On The World Stage, Edward L. Ayers
The American Civil War, Emancipation, And Reconstruction On The World Stage, Edward L. Ayers
History Faculty Publications
Americans demanded the world's attention during their Civil War and Reconstruction. Newspapers around the globe reported the latest news from the United States as one vast battle followed another, as the largest system of slavery in the world crashed into pieces, as American democracy expanded to include people who had been enslaved only a few years before.
Worrying About The Civil War, Edward L. Ayers
Worrying About The Civil War, Edward L. Ayers
History Faculty Publications
There is no animosity in any of these historical or practical interpretations of the Civil War. It is clear that the North fought for purposes entirely good--for Union and the end of slavery--but Confederate soldiers also win respect for their bravery, their devotion, and their struggle against long odds. They seem to have been playing historical roles for which they are not to blame. The reenactors, the books in stores, and the battlefield tours generally avoid talking about the cause of the war, focusing instead on the common bravery and hardships of soldiers North and South.