Introduction In popular histories of the United States, the Civil War is represented as a classic triumph of good over evil: An altruistic, enlightened North, united in its commitment to a noble cause, defeats a self-indulgent, inhumane, oppressive Southern aristocracy to secure the consitutional guarantees of liberty and justice for all. In fact, however, geography did not create the consensus that reason, logic, emotion, threats, and promises had failed to achieve; many Northerners did ...

Introduction [excerpts] Although it can be understood why the military history receives so much attention, it is only a part of the entire Civil War story. Too often, students of the conflict come away with only the military/combat aspects and the imprint of the war on the national level. This type of study is frequently too broad in scope, leaving out important details. To get a clearer picture of the impact of the war on the whole nation, the local and regional levels need to be examined. To do this, it useful...