Landmarks of the Civil War
Nina Silber
Hardcover
(Oxford University Press, June 12, 2003)
Along with explorations of well-known sites of the Civil War -- Fort Sumter, Appomattox, Gettysburg, -- Landmarks of the Civil War takes us on a powerful journey to the places that reveal how the Civil War, perhaps the most devastating event in American history, affected all Americans, such as: * Port Hudson, Louisiana, where African Americans fought for their freedom on the high bluffs of the Mississippi at the risk on not just capture but enslavement * Honey Springs, Oklahoma, where Native Americans fought, some supporting the North and others the Confederacy, which further divided a culture already traumatized * Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia, famous for its disastrous outcome for the North, but also a place where journalists got their baptism in war correspondence and realized the powerful role they could play in events Nina Silber also takes us to some of the most notorious prisoner-of-war sites, inadequate and make-shift hospitals, weapons and ammunition workshops, and official presidential and legislative settings that evoke the politics of war-making. With numerous personal anecdotes and compelling detail throughout, Landmarks of the Civil War is a fascinating tour through the places where the United States faced its most trying moments as a nation. Journey to the places where pivotal moments in history occurred with the American Landmarks series as your guide -- exciting fieldtrips in a book! Lively narrative essays that tell what happened at each site and why it is important are accompanied by color and black-and-white photos. Packed with practical information about the sites today, each profile includes a fact box listing key dates, architect/builder/owner, address, website, and summary of significance; sidebars containing primary sources or discussing personalities, objects, or issues associated with the site; a list of related sites; and a map. Published in cooperation with the National Register of Historic Places and National Park Service, the American Landmarks series brings history alive on the spot where it happened.