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...

Introduction [excerpts] Many of New Jersey's historians attribute Abraham Lincoln's loss in the 1860 presidential election in the state, and by inference his loss again in 1864, to calling it a "border state." While no acceptable definition surfaced, other than distinguishing New Jersey from "border slave states" (i.e., Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware), these historians relied on core reasons, such as geographic location and...