Students begin by evaluating significant issues preceding the war, including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, economics, and slavery. They then study various aspects of the Civil War, including the social ramifications of the conflict in both the North and the South, the influence of the press, the war-time economy, and some select battles. The course examines the role of women in the Civil War, including Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix. It also features field trips to Civil War sites, including Gettysburg. Analyzing primary sources is central to the course.
Weekly projects culminate in essays, debates, historical simulations, or oral presentations.
Discussions address topics ranging from what circumstances would provoke a society to take up arms against itself to how it repairs the damage in the aftermath. The Johns Hopkins University. All rights reserved.