The Civil War and Reconstruction
As taught in: Fall 2005
Warrenton, VA, November 1862 / Alex. Gardner, photographer. (Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number, LC-USZ62-98249 (b&w film copy neg.)])
Instructors:
Prof. Merritt Roe Smith
MIT Course Number:
21H.116J / STS.029J
Level:
Undergraduate
Course Features
Course Highlights
This course features archived syllabi from various semesters.
Course Description
Although attention will be devoted to the causes and long-term consequences of the Civil War, this class will focus primarily on the war years (1861-1865) with special emphasis on the military and technological aspects of the conflict. Four questions, long debated by historians, will receive close scrutiny:
- What caused the war?
- Why did the North win the war?
- Could the South have won?
- To what extent is the Civil War America's "defining moment"?
*Some translations represent previous versions of courses.
