The Civil War from Its Origins to Reconstruction

The period of Sectionalism, Civil War and Reconstruction was the most traumatic in American history. The outcome changed the foundations of the nation, with effects still felt today. While most Civil War histories focus on specific topics―military history, economics, politics―this book presents the narrative as it unfolded against a broader historical background. Drawing on direct quotations from actual participants, the author provides an interpretive overview of the issues and events that divided and then devastated the United States.

James S. Pula is a professor emeritus of history at Purdue University Northwest. The author of numerous books, his work has been honored with the Mieczysław Haiman Award for sustained scholarly contributions to Polish American history and culture, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Council for Polish Culture, three Oskar Halecki Prizes for various books, the U. S. Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, among others.

James S. Pula
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 334
Bibliographic Info: 119 photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7411-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3501-9
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction 1
1. “To Form a More Perfect Union” 5
2. An Expanding Nation Leads to Expanding Divisions 24
3. The Crucial Decade 49
4. The Crisis of the Union 72
5. 1861—War Becomes Reality 86
6. 1862—The Year of Missed Opportunities 117
7. 1863—The Tide Begins to Turn 159
8. 1864—Closing the Vice 209
9. 1865—The Union Restored 245
10. A Void of Leadership 265
11. Radical Reconstruction 278
12. The Legacy of Sectionalism, Civil War and Reconstruction 296
Chapter Notes 307
Bibliography 317
Index 321

• “Exceptionally well written, organized and presented…an impressive overview of the American Civil War”—Midwest Book Review.