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Most modern wars
are known by one name: World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam
War. The American Civil War, commonly called the Civil War, has
many names, especially in the states of the former Confederacy.
It is known as the War of Southern Secession, the War Between
the States, the War of Northern Aggression, the Second War of
Independence, and the Second American Revolution. After the war,
it was often referred to as the Recent Unpleasantness. Here we
shall call it simply the Civil War.
It was the most destructive war in U.S. history, with over
600,000 deaths more than all other American wars combined.
Given that our current population is almost ten times what it
was in 1860, it would be the equivalent of six million dying in
battle today.
The World & I Online has created this collection from more than
1,000 Civil War articles written by some 200 authors and
published in its sister publication the Washington Times over
the years, and the collection will continue to be enriched by
new articles on a regular basis. In these accounts you will find
many new and unique details possibly some unusual trait
dealing with Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis, for example.
Article topics range from the introduction of slavery in 1619
and the founding of the United States in 1776 to battle accounts
during the war and current historical research and efforts to
save battlefields from the encroachment of shopping centers and
housing developments.
To make this substantial body of material most useable in the
classroom, we turned to the state standard objectives for the
Civil War. As you know, though, each state varies in its
approach to Civil War study. Some focus on major battles and
wartime events. Others stress the causes, course, and
consequences of the war. Still others examine the beliefs and
values of the major personalities. And some place more emphasis
on events before and after the war. You will find all these
topics and more addressed in the nine major sections listed in
the column at right.
We encourage you to make full use of this collection, for it
holds a wealth of insight into this most significant period in
U.S. history. And we also welcome your comments and suggestions
on the collection.
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The rotating Civil War
images above are presented courtesy of the Library of Congress and the
National Archives and Registration Administration. |
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