On the New Cambridge History of the Civil War...an Opening Salvo
The Cambridge History of the American Civil War, 3 vols (Cambridge University Press, 2019).
Edited by historian and fellow Wahoo alumnus Aaron Sheehan-Dean, the Cambridge History of the American Civil War is an extraordinary and might I add…rather ambitious undertaking. As such I feel quite honored to be taking on this anthology. The three-volume set includes the work of over 75 prominent historians - all experts in their selected fields. Years in the making, this is a monumental editorial achievement. It kinda goes without saying that the scholarly take on the American Civil War is vast, and I would add that it is pretty much impossible to keep up with the academic and popular publishing, the journals, and the digital media dealing with the conflict. Historiographical developments and shifting areas of emphasis even over the last few decades have yielded thousands of titles, essays, and mountains of digital media content ranging from blogs to sophisticated web-based digital projects and databases. My personal library has grown to overflowing in the last couple of years - and while my cherished collection of Civil War volumes covers a lot of disciplinary bases, it only scratches the surface of the surface of the surface. So, an anthology such as this is an extraordinarily valuable tool for yours truly and for really anyone who seeks concise yet comprehensive coverage of the Civil War era.
But the chapters are not merely summaries or syntheses of well-worn ideas. Each historian offers his or her own analytical perspective to an event or theme in relation to the American Civil War, and each situates their work in the broader scheme of the historiography. So far I’m about 200ish pages deep in the first volume and I am enjoying it immensely. My plan for the New Year is to take on at least one entry per evening until I have made my way through the entire anthology…this should keep me busy for sure, but also provide inspiration to revisit or introduce some of the ideas within this wide-ranging collection of perspectives to my Civil War students. Which of course reminds me that this would be an excellent go-to for discussion material for any teacher who acknowledges the war era as a pivotal point in United States history. I will give each volume its due once I have properly digested its contents. You can find the links below:
Volume II: Affairs of the State (in progress)
Volume III: Affairs of the People (in progress)
Sheehan-Dean correctly notes in the introductory essay, “all history begins by appreciating how participants understood their experiences, and people who lived through the Civil War recognized that theirs were momentous times.” (1:2) Momentous indeed. Which is why it is so crucially important to understand the era in all its complexity. These days I seem to see a good deal of punditry and agenda-fueled commentary on the Civil War (especially on the usual social media suspects) offering overly simplified, superficial, even mean-spirited takes on the war and its legacy made in bad faith. In truth, there are many voices that contribute to the Civil War narrative and if we, those of who are interested in objectively reconstructing the past anyway, seek to comprehend the Civil War era - the triumphs, the tragedies, what it changed, what it left for future generations to sort out…then we must follow the evidence, we must contextualize and unpack bias, and we must must must open our minds to a wide range of ideas.
The anthology covers these momentous times from a variety of angles: on the battlefield (obvi), slavery, politics, culture, gender, economics, emancipation, diplomacy, society, race, memory, veterans affairs, popular culture, and other topics get their fair shake. Other scholars weigh in on causation, leadership, sectionalism, and the war in a global context. The chapters are roughly 20 or so pages each, so they are excellent sources for reference in terms of the major points of each topic. Each chapter likewise provides a point of entry for analytical inquiry…offering food for thought, as it were.
Just sayin’…from Barbara Gannon’s essay on veterans in Volume III: Affairs of the People
I especially appreciate how the authors include a “key works” section at the end of each chapter…highlighting foundational or other important studies in the historiographical trajectory of their respective topics. Of course, this only means that I am adding more and more books to my Amazon wish list….which for a bibliophile such as myself is a wonderful thing. But if you have a book purchasing problem (if problem is indeed the right word here…) then consider yourself warned. Like any good anthology, these essays will encourage more reading. And I am all for that. One last thing…wouldn't it be cool if there were similar volumes on Reconstruction? If you’re reading this Aaron, maybe we should talk. I am open to a collaborative project.
With compliments,
Keith