Course Description

Instructor: Michael Shaffer

Beginning in May 1864, and stretching for almost 12 months, pivotal military events occurred, east and west, as Confederate and Federal forces fought to determine the destiny of a nation. This course will cover 1864 events in Georgia, including the Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea, and will explore the Carolinas Campaign and other important battles in the western theater. Beginning with the Overland Campaign in Virginia, and running through the stacking of arms at Appomattox Court House, we will also review military actions in the east. Students will gain a better understanding of key wartime figures in reviewing the actions of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; Lieutenant General U.S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee; Major General William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston, and many others.

Reading for Class: The Civil War: The Final Year Told by Those Who Lived It, ISBN: 978-1598532944

https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Library-America-Collection/dp/1598532944

Bio: Civil War historian, instructor, lecturer, newspaper columnist, and author. Shaffer is a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. He teaches Civil War Courses at Kennesaw State University's College of Graduate and Professional Education and at Emory University, and frequently speaks to various groups across the country.