Civil War Chicago

Theodore J. Karamanski is a professor of history at Loyola University Chicago, where he founded and directs the Public History Program. He is the author of seven books, including Rally 'Round the Flag: Chicago and the Civil War, Schooner Passage: Sailing Ships and the Lake Michigan Frontier, and most recently Blackbird's Song: Andrew J. Blackbird and the Odawa People.Eileen M. McMahon is a professor of history at Lewis University. She holds a doctorate in history from Loyola University Chicago and is the author of What Parish Are You From: A Chicago Irish Community and Race Relations, coauthor of North Woods River: The St. Croix River in Upper Midwest History, and editor of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society.

"A remarkable portrait of Chicago during the Civil War through the eyes of those who lived it." "Compilations of primary sources are always a welcome addition to the Civil War bookshelf. These editors have dug deep and have provided a wealth of detailed accounts about the Civil War era in one of the most important cities in the United States. The introductory essays are informing and provide a good introduction to the primary text." (Blue and Gray, Vol. 32, No. 1) "Ohio University Press's Civil War in the Great Interior series does fine work in presenting readers with all-embracing selections of published and unpublished Civil War documents on a state by state basis, the whole accompanied by expert editing. From the same publisher and similar in presentation style, Civil War Chicago: Eyewitness to History, edited by Theodore J. Karamanski and Eileen M. McMahon, narrows the documentary subject focus even further.…This is a really impressive documentary immersion project. With no shortage of Midwestern candidates, perhaps Civil War Chicago can be the first title in a new city series." "The Civil War was a pivotal period for Chicago and the American city. It ended with triumph of free labor, industrial capitalism, and urbanization. The documents collected and expertly interpreted in Civil War Chicago: Eyewitness to History tell the riveting story of the impact of war on the city that became the great Emporium of the West as told through the words of participants in the momentous events of the times. " "This book promises to be an outstanding contribution to the literature on the history of Chicago and its role in the Civil War. The editors have assembled a terrific collection of sources that document the economic rise of the Windy City in the mid-nineteenth century and reveal the ethnic, racial, and political themes that shaped the metropolis in this crucial period. This will become a 'must read' for anyone interested in Chicago's past."