The 20 most significant events of the Civil War : a ranking

Axelrod, Alan 1952- (author.).

Summary: "This is the first book to not only select the events that most influenced the causes and outcome of America's Civil War, but also to rank them in order of significance. In each of the book's 20 detailed essays, author/historian/speaker Alan Axelrod presents an engaging narrative about the event, and also explains how the event shaped the course of the war, and ultimately the future of the country. The author's selection and ranking criteria include: Effect as cause or trigger of the war Decisiveness: whether it was a war-winning or war-losing event (both in military terms and in terms of public opinion, morale, and support) Magnitude and scope: size and cost of a battle Enduring postwar significance in American history, politics, society, culture and/or in military history and technologyFrom Lincoln's Inauguration, Antietam, and John Brown's raid, to the New York draft riots and Stonewall Jackson dying as a result of friendly fire Â never before has the Civil War been explored quite this way. The Civil War was a violent argument between the North and the South. The purpose of this book is to start another argument about its history."--Publisher description.

Item details

ISBN: 9781510715202
ISBN: 1510715207
ISBN: 9781510715226
Physical Description: print
xiii, 270 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Publisher: New York, NY : Skyhorse Publishing, [2017]
Copyright: ©2017

Contents / Notes

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 250-253) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction: for the sake of argument and understanding -- May 22, 1856: the gentleman from South Carolina canes the gentleman from Massachusetts -- March 4, 1861: "Black Lincoln" is inaugurated -- April 12, 1861: General Beauregard opens fire on Fort Sumter -- September 22, 1862: Lincoln issues the "preliminary" Emancipation Proclamation -- April 9, 1865: Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia -- November 19, 1863: two minutes at Gettysburg -- November 4, 1864: Lincoln wins reelection -- July 13, 1863: New York draft rioters set fire to the Orphan Asylum for Colored Children -- April 14, 1865: John Wilkes Booth assassinates Abraham Lincoln -- July 21, 1861: the rebels win at Bull Run -- June 1, 1862: Lee rises to top command in the Confederacy -- July 4, 1863: Vicksburg falls to Grant -- May 7, 1864: defeated, Grant advances -- April 8, 1862: Shiloh creates a new American reality -- May 20, 1862: Congress passes the Homestead Act of 1862 -- May 2, 1863: Stonewall Jackson falls to friendly fire at Chancellorsville -- November 7, 1862: Lincoln chooses Burnside to lead the Army of the Potomac -- August 28-30, 1862: Lee divides and conquers at the Second Battle of Bull Run -- October 16-18, 1859: John Brown raids Harpers Ferry -- March 8, 1862: the ironclads clash at Hampton Road -- Lest we forget: the 20 most significant Civil War books.