Why the Confederacy lost
By: edited by Gabor S. Boritt ; essays by James M. McPherson ... [et al.].
Contributors: Boritt, G. S., 1940-; McPherson, James M.
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 1992
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 209
Subjects: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Confederate States of America -- History
Description: Gabor S. Boritt, Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, brings together five Civil War historians to reveal how battlefield decisions shaped the very forces -- social, economic, and political -- that many scholars claim determined the outcome of the war. James McPherson argues that the Civil War was won by the Union army through key victories at key moments. Archer Jones examines the strategy of the two sides, concluding that neither got the better of the other, and shows how each had to match its military planning to political necessity. Gary Gallagher assesses the role of the dominant generals -- Lee, Grant, and Sherman -- explaining how they towered above the others and how their roles shaped the war. Reid Mitchell shows how the Union's advantage in numbers was enhanced by a dedication and perserverance of federal troops that was not matched by the Confederates after their home front began to collapse. And Jospeh Glatthaar attends to the critical contribution of African Americans, placing that "at the heart of the Civil War."
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [181]-191) and index.