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HIST 119: The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877

Lecture 13 - Terrible Swift Sword: The Period of Confederate Ascendency,
1861-1862
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Overview:

Professor Blight discusses the expectations, advantages, and disadvantages with which North and South entered the Civil War. Both sides, he argues, expected and desired a short, contained conflict. The northern advantages enumerated in this lecture include industrial capability, governmental stability, and a strong navy. Confederate advantages included geography and the ability to fight a defensive war. Professor Blight concludes the lecture with the Battle of Bull Run, the first major engagement of the war.

Reading assignment:

William Gienapp, Civil War and Reconstruction: A Documentary Collection, part 2, pp. 71-106

Michael P. Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War, parts 5-6, pp. 137-173

Louisa May Alcott, Hospital Sketches

Class lecture:

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