Description
This course explores a seminal period in American history from the sectional crisis of the 1850s to the end of Reconstruction in 1877. The Civil War lasted four years, 1861 to 1865, and it contributed to debates about nationalism, citizenship, the morality of violence, and the power and expanse of the federal government. The crisis of disunion resulted in a devastating war that saw death on a monumental scale, millions displaced, and the emancipation of four million enslaved Americans. The conflict also initiated profound transformations in American society and culture. The legacy of the Civil War continues to reverberate today in American history and memory.