It’s hard to understand in today’s polarized America but in the 1860s, Northerners considered the unity of the United States, with or without slavery, important enough to die for.
‘The Second Founding’ by Eric Foner
Foner argues that the most important legacy of the Civil War era was the three amendments added to the Constitution during that tumultuous time.
‘Why the Confederacy Lost’ edited by Gabor Boritt
Top Civil War historians including James McPherson and Gary Gallagher explain what it took more than heavier battalions to defeat the Confederacy.
‘Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War’ by Nicholas Lemann
The story of how ex-Confederate ‘Redeemers’ used night riding terrorism to thwart Reconstruction needs to be better known, and Lemann tells it compellingly.