Course Description

Instructors: Sal DePasquale, Michael Shaffer and Rodney Webb

The Civil War and subsequent Reconstruction occurred within a context of world events. Too often historical events are contemplated within a silo isolated from seemingly external events that provide texture and context. Connecting events is a central theme of this class. The Industrial Revolution, born in England, created opportunities for wealth underpinning the Civil War; for removal of indigenous peoples from the Deep South; and for imperial aggression later resulting in bombing of Pearl Harbor and a worldwide war. In Reconstruction slavery was rebranded, with Jim Crow laws re-enslaving allegedly emancipated people. To be sure, riches represented by cotton were too compelling. Religion was hijacked by a culture determined to rationalize and justify raw brutality viciously imposed upon people of color. Suggested readings: Foner, E. (1990) A short history of reconstruction 1863-1877 New York: Harper; Baptist, E.E. (2014) The half has never been told: slavery and the making of American capitalism New York: Basic Books; Beckert, Sven (2014) Empire of Cotton: A Global History New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition; and Wilson, C.R. (1980) Baptized in blood: The religion of the lost cause, 1865-1920 Athens, Georgia: Georgia University Press