HIST 365
CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
HIST 365. Civil War and Reconstruction. (A)
Three hours lecture (3).
Prerequisite: Three hours of history at 100 level.
Study of period 185O-1877. Social, political, economic, diplomatic and military developments illustrated.
I. The Divided Union
A. A Growing Nation
B. The Old South
C. Slavery
D. Wedges of Separation
E. A House Divided
F. Secession of the Lower South
G. Buchanan's Dilemma
H. Lincoln and the Appeal to Arms
I. The Plight of the Upper South
J. The Campaigns: Earlier Phases
K. The Virginia Front
L. The Great Border
M. Problems of the Confederacy
N. Behind the Southern Lines
O. Men and Measures
P. The Government and the Citizen
Q. The Raising of the Army
R. Army Administration
S. The War Treasury
T. The American Question Abroad
U. Slavery and the War
V. Lincoln and Emancipation
W. The Middle Phase: Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chattanooga
X. Military Campaigns of 1864
Y. The Naval War
Z. Wartime Politics to 1864
AA. Peace Movements and the Election of 1864
BB. The North in Wartime
CC. The Failure of Cotton Diplomacy
DD. Collapse of the Confederacy: End of the War
II. The Restored Union
A. Presidential Reconstruction
B. Johnson and the Radicals
C. The Critical Year
D. The Fabric of Reconstruction Legislation
E. The President Impeached
F. Black Reconstruction
G. Postwar Politics and Constitutional Change
H. The Grant Era
I. The Era of Reconstruction
The class meets three hours a week with all students being required to use a basic textbook. The large size of the class (usually over thirty-five) requires a teaching methodology that reaches a wide variety of students. Teaching methods involve a mix of lectures, class discussion, and visual aids (slides, films, maps).
A student in History 365 should improve skills and under-standing of the most popular period of American history. Students should be able to comprehend and appreciate the following:
1. The complex relationship between the North and South before, during, and after the war; the evolution of two different ways of life between the sections.
2. The causes and events leading to the war; "King Cotton" vs. the antislavery forces; successes and failures of compromises.
3. How the war was won and lost; the military strategies; battles and leaders; the elements of modern warfare and the importance of technology.
4. How what began as a bitter argument over Union and States' rights ended as a struggle over the meaning of freedom; the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment.
5. The contributions of blacks and women throughout the war.
6. The turbulent period of Reconstruction--success and failures; the 14th and 15th Amendments.
7. How a Union of states was transformed into an enduring nation; the significance of Civil War and Reconstruction.
Assessment measures include attendance and participation in class discussions, book reviews, and testing that includes both objective and essay exams. All tests are structured to emphasize understanding of ideas, concepts, and cause and effect.
None.
Date Action Reviewed by
January 2005 Reviewed and Approved by Charles McClellan