America's Civil War

Brooks D. Simpson is the author of several books on the Civil War and Reconstruction era, including Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of war and Reconstruction, 1861-1868, The Political Education of Henry Adams, and America's Civil War. He is a professor of history and humanities at Arizona State University.

"Sensible, well-written, and thoroughly grounded in the most recent scholarship, America's Civil War is the best short synthesis of the subject available." —Mark Grimsley, Ohio State University"This book is a fine achievement, and it will be invaluable not only to students but to many other readers—and even Civil War specialists will benefit from its fresh insights." —Peter J. Parish"Simpson has written a lively and interpretive history of the US Civil War. Based on a mastery of the secondary literature, Simpson's narrative weaves the political, military, and social history of this significant period." (CHOICE, September 1996)"This work finally condenses the story of the War to a manageable size for the beginner and student alike. ...Written in a clear, concise manner, this book belongs on the book shelves of any collector of writings on the Civil War." (The Cincinnati Civil War Round Table, November 1996)"Students looking for a condensed, clear, and evenhanded summary of a particular campaign would do well to consult this volume. ...America's Civil War will be a useful supplemental reading in survey courses and a solid short text for courses on the war itself. Occupying an important niche between the single-chapter accounts of the American history textbooks and much longer single-volume treatments...Simpson's book admirably fulfills the goals of the American History Series." (Civil War History, June 1997)

• Foreword VIIPreface and Acknowledgments XIIIntroduction: On Understanding the Civil War 1Chapter One: Secession and the First Shot 7Secession 9The First Shot 21Chapter Two: War Begins 24Mobilizing For Conflict 25War Aims 31The First Battles 37The European Response 45Chapter Three: The Limited War 49Forts Henry and Donelson 50Shiloh 53Rebels Resurgents in Virginia 57Confederate Escalation 66Chapter Four: War Becomes Revolution 70Toward Emancipation 71Confederate Counteroffensives: Lee Moves North 80Confederate Counteroffensives: Perryville, Iuka, and Corinth 87Emancipation and Elections 89Union Battlefield Standoffs and Rebuffs 94Chapter Five: Gambles Won and Lost 100Chancellorsville 101Vicksburg and Gettysburg 105Chickamauga and Chattanooga 114The Impact of Emancipation 120Chapter Six: The Home Front 130The Folks Back Home 131The Northern Economy and War Effort 137The Southern Economy and War Effort 141Politics and Society: The North 145Politics and Society: The South 152Wartime Reconstruction: Early Steps 157Chapter Seven: The Campaigns of 1864 162Grant’s Grand Design 163The Wilderness Campaigns 166The Atlanta Campaign 175Lincoln’s Bid for Reelection 177Victory on the Battlefield and at the Ballot Box 183Chapter Eight: Victory and Defeat 188Sherman’s March to the Sea 189Fort Fisher and the March through the Carolinas 194Emancipation, Reconstruction, and Peace Proposals 197From Richmond to Appomattox 201Foundations for Peace 206Conclusion: Why the Union Won 213Bibliographical Essay 221Index 233Maps: Major Campaigns of the Civil War 35Campaigns in the West, February to April 1862 52The Peninsula Campaign 1862 64Campaigns in Virginia and Maryland, August to December 1862 82War in the East, 1863 103The Vicksburg Campaign, April to July 1863 108Grant vs. Lee 168Campaigns in the West, 1864-65 190