HIS-3461 American Civil War
This course will explore the causes, course, and consequences of the American Civil War from the 1840s through 1877. Four broad themes will be examined: a) the emergence of a crisis of union and disunion in 1840-1860; b) slavery, race, and emancipation as national issues, personal experience, and social process; c) the experience of modern war for individuals and society; d) the political and social challenges of Reconstruction. The course will enhance the student's ability to develop three structural components: extensive reading, intensive writing, and historiographical thinking.