Civil War: Second American Revolution

Once you have entered the discussion and read the prompt, select Start a New Thread to answer the question with an initial response of at least 300 words. Then reply to the work of two other students for at least 50 words each. Your total word count per complete assignment should be at least 400 words (300 for the initial response, 50 for one student, and 50 for another). All parts of the activity must be completed by the due date.
Address what is meant when historians call the Civil War a second American Revolution. Your answer should define the term revolution in terms of political, economic, racial, or social change, and whether or not your definition applies to the Civil War.
Unit 8: The Civil War
The Civil War (1861-1865) remains the deadliest war in U.S. history by far. The war has been characterized as a “total war” as well as a revolution, and it is worth evaluating if these terms apply to the conflict. The emancipation of nearly three million slaves was an apparent victory for civil rights activists, but much was left to be done for future generations in terms of the status of African-Americans. However, the federal government gained substantially in power as a result of the war, as the forces of secession were defeated.
4th United States Colored Infantry
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this unit, students should be able to:
Evaluate critically the idea of the war as a "revolution"
Explain the political agenda of the Republicans during the war
Reflect upon the meaning of emancipation for African-Americans
Unit 8 Reading Assignments:
All reading should be completed before answering the Unit 2 Discussion Question
Davidson, A Little History of the United States, chapters 22
Unit 8 Lecture:
HIS 220 A Unit 8 Lecture - Word Document (16.5 KB)
Unit 8 Primary Source Documents:McClellan, Sherman, Lincoln, African-American soldiers, and white southerner view of war
HIS 220 A Unit 8 Primary Sources - Word Document (18.1 KB)
Unit 8 Video:
In this clip, historian Eric Foner reviews the ways in which the Civil War revolutionized the North. It is worth examining to what extent the idea of the Civil War as a revolution makes sense to you, or in what sense this term applies to the war and its aftermath.
Little History of the United States 2015
Author: Davidson, James West
ISBN-13: 978-0-300-18141-8
ISBN-10: 0-300-18141-8
Edition/Copyright: 2015
Publisher: Yale University Press