America's Civil War History 393  Summer 2010  Syllabus  Professor John C. Willis

 

Course Objectives           This course examines the causes, character, and consequences of that great American tragedy, the Civil War.  We will consider the failure of antebellum political mechanisms, the growth of sectionalism, justifications for and against secession, the methods and implications of war, efforts to eradicate Southern separatism, and the lingering scars of the nation's fratricidal dispute.   Assignments and Grades           Grades will be determined on the basis of a mid-term examination (40 percent), a final examination (40 percent), and class participation (20 percent).  Class participation will be evaluated at each meeting on the basis of your attendance, discussion of assigned texts, performance on quizzes, and original contributions to our understanding of the Civil War.            Reading assignments are to be completed before the beginning of class on the day designated for their consideration.  Consultation            I will hold office hours each day after class from 12:05-12:30 and at other times by appointment.  My office is in Walsh-Ellett #201.  I can be reached via e-mail at jwillis@sewanee.edu, or by phone at my office (598-1534) or home (598-9249; please do not call after 9:00 p.m.).  Published Sources            Charles B. Dew, Apostles of Disunion             David H. Donald, et al., The Civil War and Reconstruction             Drew Gilpin Faust, Mothers of Invention             Gary W. Gallagher, Lee and His Generals in War and Memory             John F. Marszalek, Sherman's March to the Sea             Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Concise Historical Atlas of the U.S. Civil War  Back to Top

 

Class Sessions •    June •    July June              14      Re-Imagining North and South                                   •Staunton (Va.) Vindicator, 30 November 1860                        15       The American Context                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 1-26                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 2-3                                   •Alexis de Tocqueville, from Democracy in America:                                        •"Of Individualism in Democratic Countries"                                        •"Why the Americans are so Restless...."                        16       Developing Differences                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 27-73                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 4-9, 20-21                                   •William Lloyd Garrison, "The Liberator"                                   •Edward Pessen, "Similarities . . . North and South"                                   •James McPherson, "Differences . . . North and South"                        17       Disputes and Compromises                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 74-85                                   •U.S. Grant, Causes of the Mexican War                                   •Abraham Lincoln, "Spot Resolutions"                                   •Alexander H. Stephens, "The Honor of This Country"                                   •John C. Calhoun, "Southern Address"                                   •William H. Seward, "A Higher Law"                        18       Unexpected Tensions                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 85-98                                   •Charles Sumner, "The Crime Against Kansas"                                   •Albany (N.Y.) Evening Journal, 23 May 1856                                   •Springfield Illinois State Register, 26 May 1856                                   •Charleston (S.C.) Mercury, 28 May 1856                                   •Louisville (Ky.) Journal, 28 May 1856                                   •Richmond (Va.) Whig, 31 May 1856                        21       The House Dividing                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 99-115                                   •James Henry Hammond, "Cotton is King"                        22       Elections of 1860                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 116-124                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 10-11                                   •National Democratic Party Platform, 1860                                   •Constitutional Democratic Party Platform, 1860                                   •Republican Party Platform, 1860                                   •Constitutional Union Party Platform, 1860                                   •George Templeton Strong, "whether I am a Republican"                                   •The Presidential Election, 1860                        23       The First Wave of Secession                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 125-167                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 12-13                                   •South Carolina, "The Immediate Causes of Secession"                                   •Date of Secession Compared to 1860 Black Population                                   •Staunton (Va.) Spectator, 13 November 1860                                   •Staunton (Va.) Spectator, 27 November 1860                                   •Staunton (Va.) Vindicator, 30 November 1860                                   •Alexander Stephens, "Let us, therefore, reason together"                        24       Complications of the Secession Winter and Spring                                   •Apostles of Disunion                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 12-13                                   •John Crittenden, Compromise Proposal, December 1860                        25       The Realities of Division                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 168-182                                   •Alexander Stephens, "Cornerstone Speech"                                   •Jefferson Davis, "Our Cause is Just"                                   •Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address                                   •Population of the Future Confederate States, 1860                                   •Population of the Border Slaveholding States, 1860                                   •Distribution of Farms by Acreage, 1860                                    •Distribution of Slaveholders by Size of Holdings, 1860                                   •Percentage of Urban Population, 1790-1860                        28       Early Battles                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 183-195                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 14-15, 18-19                                   •Sullivan Ballou to "My very dear Sarah," 14 July 1861                        29       Grant's Emergence in the West                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 196-202                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 26-29                        30       Lee's Second Chance                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 203-216                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 32-35  July                 1       In the Ranks                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 225-261                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 24-25                          2       Mid-term Examination                          5       Internal Resistance                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 261-295, 325-346                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 36-37, 48-49, 52-53, 60-61                                   •Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Chiefly about War Matters"                                   •George B. McClellan to Abraham Lincoln, 7 July 1862                                   •Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation                          6       The Lessons of Antietam and Fredericksburg                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 216-224                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 40-45, 50-51                                   •Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, 3 September 1862                          7       The Encounter at Gettysburg                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 347-357                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 54-59                                   •Lee and His Generals, pp. 158-181                                   •Chancellorsville, 2-4 May 1863                                   •Robert E. Lee, General Orders, No. 73                                   •Gettysburg, 1 July 1863                          8       Gettysburg:  Planned Assaults and their Implications                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 347-357                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 58-59                                   •Lee and His Generals, pp. 47-76                                   •Gettysburg, 2 July 1863                                    •Gettysburg, 3 July 1863                                   •Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, 31 July 1863                                   •Abraham Lincoln,  Gettysburg Address                          9       Class cancelled                        12       From Vicksburg to Chattanooga                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 357-369                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 62-63, 66-67                                   •Vicksburg Campaign, March-July 1863                                   •Battles for Chattanooga, 24-25 November 1863                        13       The War at Home                                   •Mothers of Invention                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 38-39, 64-65, 76-79                        14       Grant and Lee, 1864                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 370-385                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 70-73                                   •Lee and His Generals, pp. 77-98                                   •U.S. Grant, Meeting President Lincoln                                   •U.S. Grant, Command of the Army of the Potomac                                   •U.S. Grant, Plans for the 1864 Campaign                        15       The Atlanta Campaign                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 385-393                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 80-81                                   •Cleburne, et al., to Johnston, et al., 2 January 1864                                   •Johnston to Hardee, et al., 31 January 1864                                   •Atlanta Campaign, May-September 1864                                   •Kennesaw Mountain, 27 June 1864                                   •W. T. Sherman, Orders to ... Atlanta                         16       Testing the Will of the People, North and South                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 385-393, 409-427                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 82-83, 86-87                                   •Democratic Party Platform, 1864                                   •Republican Party Platform, 1864                                   •Sherman's March to the Sea                                   •W. T. Sherman, Special Field Orders, No. 120                                    •W. T. Sherman to Henry W. Halleck, 24 December 1864                                   •W. T. Sherman, Special Field Orders, No. 15, [1865]                                   •Carolinas Campaign, September 1864-April 1865                        19       Confederate Collapse                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 449-464                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 84-85, 88-89                                   •Franklin/Nashville Campaign, Oct.-Dec. 1864                                   •Petersburg Campaign, 15 June 1864-3 April 1865                                   •Robert E. Lee to Andrew Hunter, 11 January 1865                                   •Charleston (S.C.) Mercury, 13 January 1865                                   •56th Va. Reg't. to Richmond Whig, 14 February 1865                                   •Thirteenth Amendment, 1865                        20       Concluding Complications                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 465-474                                   •Atlas of the U.S. Civil War, pp. 82-83, 90-91                                   •Appomattox Campaign, March-April 1865                                   •Edwin M. Stanton to U.S. Grant, 3 March 1865                                   •U.S. Grant, Meetings with Robert E. Lee, 9-10 April 1865                                   •Sherman to Grant or Halleck, 18 April 1865                                   •W.T. Sherman, First Agreement...., 18 April 1865                                   •Edwin M. Stanton to U.S. Grant, 21 April 1865                        21       War's Remembrance                                   •Civil War and Reconstruction, pp. 474-476                                   •Lee and His Generals, pp. 199-226                                   •Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, 1865                                   •Robert E. Lee, "Farewell to Army of Northern Virginia"                                   •Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, 20 April 1865                        23       Final Examination, 9:00 a.m.  Last updated 16 July 2010  Back to Top