The Civil War

Perhaps more than most wars, the Civil War is remembered for its individual battles; even if people don't know who won or lost the Battle of Vicksburg, they've probably heard of it. Numerous sites, such as Military History Online, focus solely on battles, consistently covering both big-name ones like Antietam as well as lesser-known ones like Chickamauga. Some confine themselves to just one battle, an easy task considering the number that took place during the war.

Since Virginia played such a key role in the Civil War, it's no surprise that the University of Virginia maintains an excellent archive at its electronic text center. Here you can download letters, essays, and newspapers to better understand the Confederacy's position and the everyday concerns of Southerners. Indeed, Southern universities maintain most Civil War text collections, probably because Southerners felt the war's impact, economically and socially, more keenly than Northerners. One incident that forever altered Southern history and presaged the war's final days, Sherman's March to the Sea, receives thorough treatment at the University of Georgia's website. Visitors to the site can peruse Sherman's letters and field directives in a campaign that called for the burning of military equipment, plantations, and farms.

Many resources choose to focus on the lives of those who began to campaign for their rights after the Civil War, primarily African-Americans and women. One fascinating site chronicles the WPA's project in the 1930s to record former slaves' narratives, now available as interview transcriptions that help illuminate a shameful period in American history. Students can also read about the roles women played as field nurses, abolitionists, spies, and crusaders for temperance.