Unit name | The American Civil War (Level C Special Topic) |
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Unit code | HIST14015 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | C/4 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Austin |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites | |
School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Between 1861 and 1865, 800,000 Americans lost their lives in the futile struggle of the southern Confederacy to extricate itself from the Federal Union. The conflict brought into being a powerful central state, spurred technological advancements that heralded the advent of modern warfare, and destroyed the three-hundred year old institution of plantation slavery. It is not surprising then that many historians have termed it America's second revolution. This course will explore why a seemingly self-confident and expansionist nation split in two in 1861. We will consider how the North eventually triumphed, assessing the merits of the various military, political, and economic explanations. And we will look at the role slaves played in the conflict. Over the final weeks the class will turn to the aftermath of the Confederacy's surrender. Did the cessation of formal hostilities mean an end to the fighting? On what terms would the South be admitted back into the Union? And what would be the social and political status of blacks in the 'reconstructed' states? Finally we will move forward to the modern era: why does the conflict matter so much to Americans today?
By the end of the unit students should have:
10 x 2- hour seminars
1 x 2-hour exam
Recommended reading: