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topics course descriptions

Fall 2012

HSTS 5490: The U.S. Civil War (Graduate Course)
Mondays, 5:00-8:00 PM
Dr. Jaime Amanda Martinez (jaime.martinez@uncp.edu)

This graduate course will provide students with the opportunity to engage in comprehensive discussions of and explorations into the causes, events, and consequences of the American Civil War. During the first few weeks of the semester, we will explore the political, legal, economic, and religious debates over the institution of slavery in the antebellum period in order to gain a clearer understanding of why and how slavery led to secession and conflict in 1860-1861. We will then look into as many components of the wartime experience as possible, paying close attention to three recurring questions: What primary sources do historians use to study the Civil War? How do current scholarly interpretations of the war cross boundaries between different genres of history? What is the significance of the American Civil War in modern American culture?

We will be reading 12 common monographs representing the cutting edge of Civil War scholarship, written by a combination of established and rising scholars, as well as a wide variety of primary sources. Students in this class will also be selecting some additional primary and secondary sources to incorporate into their papers. Writing assignments will include weekly book reviews as well as two projects based on primary source research, a film review, and a final essay designed to assess the development of a common theme across all course readings. Students taking this class are strongly encouraged to read James McPherson’s The Battle Cry of Freedom before the start of the semester as an introduction to the events and people we will be discussing.
 

 

Updated: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

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