Civil War and Reconstruction

The latest title in the ""Eyewitness to History"" series covers a dramatic period of 19th-century American history. It begins with early historical developments that led to the Civil War, and it concludes with the Reconstruction period from 1865 to 1868. Rather than marshalling the historical facts of the period, this volume presents a mosaic of eyewitness accounts, the words of actual participants and first-hand observations through which readers can relive events. Each chapter starts with a brief historical context, which is followed by a chronology of events and carefully selected quotations emphasizing the diversity of viewpoints at the time. The appendix incorporates a useful list of documents, including Lincoln's inaugural address and the Emancipation Proclamation.