Journal Articles
“No Known Copyright”
- Journal Article: Partisans, New History, and Modernization The Historiography of the Civil War’s Causes, 1861–2011 by Frank Towers
- Article Location: http://www.jstor.org/stable/26070115 (through JSTOR)
This article takes a look at the different historical interpretations concerning the causes of the Civil War. The analysis covers six different eras. These eras include early interpretations (1860s-early 1900s), the progressive era (1910s-1940s), the consensus school (the mid-20th century), the civil rights era (1960s-1980s), cultural/social era (1980s-2000s), and modern views (2000s-present). This is a very informative article that not only describes what historians believed were the causes of each era but also why the views may have shifted based on social/political changes in American society. The author provides insights on how interpretations of the same event can develop and change over time based on the context of the particular societal era. This same methodology can also be used and applied to other historical events.
TOWERS, F. (2011). Partisans, New History, and Modernization: The Historiography of the Civil War’s Causes, 1861–2011. Journal of the Civil War Era, 1(2), 237–264. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26070115
- Journal Article: Rights and the Constitution in Black Life during the Civil War and Reconstruction by Eric Foner
- Article Location: https://doi-org.libproxy.albany.edu/10.2307/1902157 (through JSTOR)
This article examines how African Americans and abolitionists navigated the complex American political system during the Civil War reconstruction era to advance their political and civic rights further. The main rights discussed include citizenship, voting rights, and equal protection under the law. It details and describes the impact that the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments had in ensuring their rights. The article also explores the political maneuverings the Southern politicians used to undermine these rights through the use of Jim Crow laws. This fascinating article shows how shrewd African American political leaders could leverage the laws of the Constitution to their own benefit instead of relying on the moral high ground and empty political speeches. The article also shows how the struggles and political victories achieved during this time period laid the groundwork for the successful Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
Foner, E. (1987). Rights and the Constitution in Black Life during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Journal of American History, 74(3), 863–883. https://doi-org.libproxy.albany.edu/10.2307/1902157
- Journal Article: Why the Confederacy Lost by Robert L. Kerby
- Article Location: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1406036 (through JSTOR)
This article explores the various reasons and theories behind the Confederate defeat in the Civil War. Some of the more prominent reasons that are detailed in this article include economic weakness in the industrial sector, military defeats in battle, diplomatic failures in gaining European support and supplies, internal regional dissent, general campaign strategy failures on the part of Jefferson Davis, and Union advantages in manpower and resources. This article does an excellent job of using primary sources and analysis from various historians to come to reasonable conclusions on what factors played the most significant reasons for the South's collapse in 1865. The author's focus on the significance of the trains for both troop and supply logistics is especially fascinating.
Kerby, R. L. (1973). Why the Confederacy Lost. The Review of Politics, 35(3), 326–345. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1406036