Publication

1981 - Knopf, New York, United States

Language

English

Word Count

173,500 words, Guess

Page Count

694 pages

Identifiers

and 3 more
  • Library of Congress Control Number81011832
  • LibraryThing72715
  • Goodreads5088176

Classifications

  • DDC973.7
  • LCCE468

Description

The Civil War is the central event in the American historical consciousness. While the Revolution of 1776-1783 created the United States, the Civil War of 1861-1865 preserved this creation from destruction and determined, in large measure, what sort of nation it would be. The war settled two fundamental issues for the United States: whether it was to be a nation with a sovereign national government, or a dissoluble confederation of sovereign states; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men are created with an equal right to liberty, was to continue to exist as the largest slaveholding country in the world. The Constitution of 1789 had left these issues unresolved. By 1861 there was no way around them; one way or another, a solution had to be found. - Preface.

Subjects

Other Editions

  • Ordeal by fire: the Civil War and ReconstructionKnopf1981-01-01
Show 7 more editions

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