History 363 - Civil War Era

The Civil War era as the central epoch in American history; the crucial issues: development of sectional hostilities; why and how the war came, course and conduct of the war; attention to Lincoln and emancipation. Emphasis on the people. Biographies, narratives, and historical fiction.

Open to Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores only. This is an entirely on-line course. Content will be released and completed on a weekly basis, providing students with both flexibility and structure. The content includes rich, interactive media such as videos, songs, infographics, and e-learning activities, like polls and weekly class-wide discussion forums, as well as traditional components such as lectures and primary and secondary readings. There will be short weekly assessments, two four-page essays, and two exams. The course itself examines the social and cultural history U.S. Civil War Era. We will investigate the causes of the war, tracing the conflict between slave labor and free labor, the destruction of national political parties, and the rise of sectional political parties. We will also attend to other historical tensions, including those between northern capitalists and workers, conflicts between so-called masters and enslaved people, and conflicts between slaveowners and non-slaveholding southern whites. We will examine the social, political, and military history of the war itself. Then we will study the outcomes of the war, highlighting the conflicts over definitions of freedom in the postbellum period. Throughout the semester, we will reflect upon the ways in which the Civil War and its aftermath have been remembered and represented in history and popular culture. The course will conclude with an assessment of the legacies of the era. NOTE WELL: This is not a course in military history.