A House Divided: Sectionalism and Civil War, 1848-1865 (The American Moment) - Softcover

Sewell, Prof Richard H. H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801835321 ISBN 13: 9780801835322

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988

Synopsis

A well-written, traditional, and brief narrative of the period from the end of the Mexican War to the conclusion of the Civil War... Shows the value of traditional political history which is too often ignored in our rush to reconstruct the social texture of society. -- Civil War History

About this title

From the Back Cover:

What caused the Civil War? A House Divided presents a fresh and balanced interpretation that challenges the view of slavery as a largely artificial or symbolic issue in the conflict between two incompatible societies. This book traces the growth of bitter sectional discord in the years after 1848, when the acquisition of new American territories rekindled old controversies over the expansion of slavery. A series of compromises forestalled the crisis of secession but increasingly divided the country along slavery's lines.

Review:

"A provocative starting point for discussion, further study, and independent assessment."

(William H. Pease History)

"A well-writtem, traditional, and brief narrative of the period from the end of the Mexican War to the conclusion of the Civil War... Shows the value of traditional political history which is too often ignored in our rush to reconstruct the social texture of society."

(Thomas D. Morris Civil War History)

"Sewell's style is fast moving and very readable... An excellent volume summarizing the stormy period prior to the war as well as a look at the military and home fronts."

(Civil War Book Exchange and Collector's Newsletter)

"The best short treatment of the sectional conflict and Civil War available... Sewell convincingly demonstrates that the conflict was a revolutionary experience that fundamentally transformed the Republic and its people, and left a racial heritage that still confronts America today. The result is a poignant discussion of the central tragedy of American history and its legacy for the nation."

(William E. Gienapp Georgia Historical Quarterly)

"Tailored for adoption in college courses. Students will find that the author has a keen eye for vivid quotations, giving his prose welcome immediacy."

(Daniel W. Crofts Journal of Southern History)

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0801835321
• ISBN 13: 9780801835322
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240