“Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.”
–Abraham Lincoln, November 10, 1864
Books (also available via online access at college library)
- Elizabeth R. Varon, Armies of Deliverance: College Edition (New York: Oxford, 2021)
Additional Readings
- David W. Blight, “For Something Beyond the Battlefield,” JAH 75 (March 1989): 1156-1178. [JSTOR]
- Dickinson & Slavery (House Divided): Sectional Crisis, Freedom’s Legacy [WEB]
- Essential Civil War Curriculum (Virginia Tech): Etcheson // Meyers // Woods [WEB]
- Knowledge for Freedom (KFF) (House Divided): Constitution, Dred Scott, Reconstruction Amendments [WEB]
- Emancipation Digital Classroom (House Divided): Guide to Lincoln Movie [WEB]
- Civil War & Reconstruction (House Divided): Gettysburg tour [WEB]
- Joseph Locke and Ben Wright, eds., American Yawp, (Stanford University Press, 2023-24 ed.), [WEB]
- Lincoln’s Writings (House Divided): Lincoln and War Powers [WEB]
- NPS UGRR Handbook (House Divided): Bordewich // Foner // Harrold // Johnson // Oakes // Sinha [WEB]
- Matthew Pinsker, “After 1850: Reassessing the Impact of the Fugitive Slave Law,” (Pargas, 2018)[WEB]
First Essay –Coming of Civil War
On Monday, Feb. 26, students will submit a 3-5 page typed, double-spaced essay on a coming of Civil War topic provided to them in class on Thursday February 22. All essays must include material from sources featured on the course site properly cited using Chicago-style footnotes. Outside research is allowed but not required. Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.
On Monday, April 1, students will submit a 3-5 page typed, double-spaced essay on a topic about wartime politics or military affairs provided to them in class on Thursday, March 29. All essays must include material from Varon’s book and from other sources featured at the course site, properly cited using Chicago-style footnotes. Outside research is allowed but not required. Essays will be graded on depth of analysis, use of evidence, and quality of prose. Late essays will be penalized up to 5 points each day.
The highlight of this semester will be a website project that students will undertake to explain the significance of an important political, military, or social reform campaign from the Civil War era. By Monday, April 29, students must submit an 8- to 10-page narrative essay on their subject, relying on a range of primary and secondary sources, and employing Chicago-style footnotes. Papers will receive provisional or temporary grades. By Tuesday, May 14, students should revise this essay and transform it into website on the free platform Weebly. Each website should include an array of properly credited and captioned images as well as at least one embedded short video (about 1 to 2 minutes). Projects will be graded on depth of analysis, research effort, and quality of prose. Late project submissions will be penalized up to 5 points per day.
Grade Distribution
Class Participation 20 percent
Coming of War Essay 25 percent
Wartime Essay 25 percent
Final web projects 30 percent
| Day | Date | Discussion Topic | Reading Assignment |
| Tuesday | 1/23 | Methods & Expectations | |
| Thursday | 1/25 | Sectional Crisis Overview | Yawp, chap 13 |
| Tuesday | 1/30 | Constitution & Slavery | KFF: US Constitution |
| Thursday | 2/1 | Fugitive Slave Law | Pinsker article |
| Tuesday | 2/6 | Underground Railroad | NPS UGRR: Sinha, Oakes, Bordewich |
| Thursday | 2/8 | Slave Stampedes | NPS UGRR: Foner, Harrold, Johnson |
| Tuesday | 2/13 | Kansas Territory | Etcheson article |
| Thursday | 2/15 | Dred (and Harriet) Scott Case | KFF: Dred Scott |
| Tuesday | 2/20 | Election of 1860 | Meyers article |
| Thursday | 2/22 | Secession Crisis | Woods article + Dickinson & Slavery |
| Monday | 2/26 | Coming of War essay due | By 5pm by email attachment |
| Tuesday | 2/27 | 1861: War Begins | Varon, intro + chap 1 |
| Thursday | 2/29 | Spring 1862: Shiloh | Varon, chap 2 |
| Tuesday | 3/5 | Summer 1862: Peninsula | Varon, chap 3 |
| Thursday | 3/7 | Fall 1862: Antietam | Varon, chap 4 |
| Tuesday | 3/12 | NO CLASS –SPRING BREAK | |
| Thursday | 3/14 | NO CLASS –SPRING BREAK | |
| Tuesday | 3/19 | Winter 1862: Fredericksburg | Varon, chap. 5 |
| Thursday | 3/21 | Spring 1863: Emancipation | Varon, chap 6 |
| Tuesday | 3/26 | Spring 1863: Homefront | Varon, chap 7 |
| Thursday | 3/28 | Summer 1863: Turning Points | Varon, chap 8 |
| Thursday | 3/28 | LECTURE: Harold Holzer | Stern Great Room, 7pm |
| Monday | 4/1 | Wartime essay due | By 5pm by email attachment |
| Tuesday | 4/2 | Fall 1863: Wartime reconstruction | Varon, chap 9 |
| Thursday | 4/4 | Spring 1864: Hard War | Varon, chap 10 |
| Tuesday | 4/9 | Lincoln and War Powers | Lincoln’s Writings |
| Thursday | 4/11 | Fall 1864: Reelection | Varon, chap 11 |
| Saturday | 4/13 | Field trip to Gettysburg | Depart 10am // Return by 4pm |
| Tuesday | 4/16 | Spring 1865: Endgame | Varon, chapter 12 |
| Thursday | 4/18 | Southern Reconstruction | Varon, conclusion + Yawp, chap. 15 |
| Tuesday | 4/23 | Second Founding | KFF: Reconstruction Amendments |
| Thursday | 4/25 | Frederick Douglass and Lost Cause | Blight article |
| Monday | 4/29 | Final project essays due | By 5pm by email attachment |
| Tuesday | 4/30 | North During Reconstruction | Dickinson & Slavery |
| Thursday | 5/2 | Lessons & Legacies | |
| Tuesday | 5/14 | Final web projects due | By 5pm by email link |