MAKING SENSE OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR:
SLAVERY TO EMANCIPATION

Stephen Engle

DESCRIPTION: From the moment Americans found themselves pulled into a civil war of unimaginable scale and consequence, they tried desperately to make sense of what was happening to them. From the secession crisis into the maelstrom of battle, from the tragedy of slavery into the twilight of emancipation, Americans confronted the chaos with stories to explain the enduring war. People continued to tell themselves those stories about the war and its meaning for the next century and a half. We are still trying to make sense of the war, its causes, and its consequences. This one-time lecture will provide some understanding of the meaning of the war, and the stories that continue to define America’s central event in maintaining its nationhood.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The History Department at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) consists of a distinguished group of scholars who specialize in the areas pertinent to the Weiner American History Collection.

Dr. Stephen Engle teaches 19th-Century America, including the Age of Jefferson and Jackson, and has completed a new book on Federalism during the American Civil War. He holds a PhD in American History and has been at FAU since 1990, including five years as History Department chair. He serves as Executive Secretary and Book Review Editor for the Society of Civil War Historians.