HIS 517

Civil War and Reconstruction

The American Civil War did more to shape the United States than any other event. It created a united, modern, national state and, most importantly, destroyed legal slavery. The war and Reconstruction forced Americans to examine their ideas about citizenship, nationalism, race, equality, freedom, and the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence in ways that few other events have ever done. This course examines the military and political conduct of the war; the experiences of black and white Americans during wartime and Reconstruction; the revolution of emancipation; and political, economic, and social Reconstruction.

Units: 3.0