Author Description

Along with explorations of well-known sites of the Civil War -- Fort Sumter, Appomattox, Gettysburg, -- Landmarks of the Civil War takes us on a powerful journey to the places that reveal how the Civil War, perhaps the most devastating event in American history, affected all Americans, such as:* Port Hudson, Louisiana, where African Americans fought for their freedom on the high bluffs of the Mississippi at the risk on not just capture but enslavement* Honey Springs, Oklahoma, where Native Americans fought, some supporting the North and others the Confederacy, which further divided a culture already traumatized* Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia, famous for its disastrous outcome for the North, but also a place where journalists got their baptism in war correspondence and realized the powerful role they could play in eventsNina Silber also takes us to some of the most notorious prisoner-of-war sites, inadequate and make-shift hospitals, weapons and ammunition workshops, and official presidential and legislative settings that evoke the politics of war-making. With numerous personal anecdotes and compelling detail throughout, Landmarks of the Civil War is a fascinating tour through the places where the United States faced its most trying moments as a nation.Journey to the places where pivotal moments in history occurred with the American Landmarks series as your guide -- exciting fieldtrips in a book! Lively narrative essays that tell what happened at each site and why it is important are accompanied by color and black-and-white photos. Packed with practical information about the sites today, each profile includes a fact box listing key dates, architect/builder/owner, address, website, and summary of significance; sidebars containing primary sources or discussing personalities, objects, or issues associated with the site; a list of related sites; and a map. Published in cooperation with the National Register of Historic Places and National Park Service, the American Landmarks series brings history alive on the spot where it happened.