Civil War America: Voices From The Home Front [Hardcover]

A revealing compilation of essays documenting the effects of the Civil War and its aftermath on Americansyoung and old, black and white, northern and southern.

Civil War America: Voices from the Homefrontdescribes the myriad ways in which the Civil War affected both Northern and Southern civilians. A unique collection of essays that include diary entries, memoirs, letters, and magazine articles chronicle the personal experiences of soldiers and slaves, parents and children, nurses, veterans, and writers.

Exploring such wide-ranging topics as sanitary fairs in the North, illustrated weeklies, children playing soldier, and the care of postwar orphans, most stories communicate some element of change, such as the destruction of old racial relationships, the challenge to Southern whites' complacency, and the expansion of government power. Although some of the subjects are well knownEdmund Ruffin, Louisa May Alcott, Henry Cabot Lodge, Booker T. Washingtonmost of the witnesses presented in these essays are relatively unknown men, women, and children who help to broaden our understanding of the war and its effects far beyond the front lines.

The first scholarly treatment of the war's youngest participant's and observersengagingly retells the wartime stories of civilians dealing with the traumatic changes set in motion by the conflict. Offering a rare glimpse of the impact of the war on children, it provides a useful overview . . . Recommended for larger public and academic libraries. Library Journal

Using both primary and secondary sources, the author shows how daily life and contemporary attitudes differed dramatically depending on one's gender, locale, or race . . . Readers will find Marten's overarching theme of changeboth immediate and long-rangerevelatory and instructional . . . A useful book that combines competent re