The War That Made America: Essays Inspired by the Scholarship of Gary W. Gallagher

by Caroline E. Janney (Editor), Peter S. Carmichael (Editor), Aaron Sheehan-Dean (Editor)

Overview

This collection of original essays reveals the richness and dynamism of contemporary scholarship on the Civil War era. Inspired by the lines of inquiry that animated the writings of the influential historian Gary W. Gallagher, this volume includes nine essays by leading scholars in the field who explore a broad range of themes and participants in the nation’s greatest conflict, from Indigenous communities navigating the dangerous shoals of the secession winter to Confederate guerrillas caught in the legal snares of the Union’s hard war to African Americans pursuing landownership in the postwar years. Essayists also explore how people contested and shaped the memory of the conflict, from outright silences and evasions to the use of formal historical writing. Other contributors use comparative and transnational history to rethink key aspects of the conflict. The result is a thorough examination of Gallagher’s scholarly legacy and an assessment of the present and future of the Civil War history field.

Contributors are William A. Blair, Peter S. Carmichael, Andre M. Fleche, Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh, Caroline E. Janney, Peter C. Luebke, Cynthia Nicoletti, Aaron Sheehan-Dean, and Kathryn J. Shively.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469678900
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	03/01/2024
Series:	Civil War America
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Caroline E. Janney is John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the Civil War, University of Virginia.
Peter S. Carmichael is Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies, Gettysburg College.
Aaron Sheehan-Dean is Fred C. Frey Professor of History, Louisiana State University.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Written by some of the most significant historians working today in Civil War studies, this book is an important statement, and Civil War scholarship is going to be better for it.”—Luke Harlow, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

“Traditional themes assume new luster in this impressive collection. Using original approaches and fresh evidence, these essays deliver fascinating and often unexpected insights into the Civil War era.”—Nina Silber,Boston University

Editorial Reviews

Nothing but well-written, scholarly, noteworthy and interesting essays. There is something for every Civil War scholar and buff in the volume. It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Gallagher and is very highly recommended.”–Civil War News

“The nine essays collected in this volume are a testament to the wide-ranging, interdisciplinary insights now being incorporated into Civil War scholarship. . . . [T]he volume rewards a close reading.”—North Carolina Historical Review

From the Publisher

05/10/2024

Historian Gary W. Gallagher's (emeritus, Univ. of Virginia; Cold Harbor to the Crater) contributions to the study of the U.S. Civil War have engaged numerous students and colleagues. An introductory essay and epilogue by the editors do an excellent job of introducing readers to Gallagher's scholarship and situating the contributed essays within Civil War historiography. Gallagher and others incorporated gender, race, and class studies into the traditional study of military leaders and campaigns, and they utilized research methods popularized by the New Social History of the 1960s. Gallagher's former students and colleagues contribute essays to this volume that expand upon themes he developed. These nine studies are grouped into three categories. First, the national sentiment grouping looks beyond the North and South, includes transnational themes, and examines Confederate relationships with Indigenous peoples. Secondly, there's the centrality of military events and how battlefield actions shaped Americans' understanding of the war and insight into enslaved peoples' quest for freedom. Finally, there's the intersection of history and memory with the tensions that arose between what happened and how it is remembered. VERDICT Readers interested in the latest research on Civil War history that moves beyond battles and leaders will enjoy this title.—Chad E. Statler

Library Journal