HIST308

Analyzes the causes, progress and consequences of the costliest war in U.S. history in terms of casualties, property damage and enduring political acrimony. Topics covered may include the establishment of race-based slavery, the profitability of cotton, states’ rights, military strategy and tactics, transnational developments, the impact on civilian populations, post-war reconstruction, governmental transformations, and present-day legacies. Contextualizes the U.S. experience by considering other selected civil conflicts in the modern era ( e.g. Spain, Russia, the Congo, Nicaragua, Lebanon, Syria), with a view to comparing their causes (ideological, regional, ethnic, dynastic, religious, factional), their conduct, the impact on civilians and civil society, the extent of foreign intervention, and post-conflict rebuilding.