THE OUTCOME OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Historical context: The American Civil War.

Issue: The exercise of power.

Question: Explain how the Union was able to defeat the Confederacy in the American

Civil War.

Perspectives: Political, economic, social and military reasons why the North won and the

South lost.

Criteria:

  1. Examine one or more significant issue/s relevant to the historical context.
  2. Describe varying perspectives of the historical context. (Describe and critically examine two or more varying perspectives of the historical context.)
  3. Account for and evaluate these perspectives.

·  Clearly explain the causes of these varied perspectives.

·  Account for the range of perspectives relevant to selected context.

·  Evaluates perspectives in depth, critically and comparatively.

  1. Presents credible and accurate information drawn from a variety of sources.

·  Present accurate and authenticated information based on a diverse range of sources providing alternative viewpoints.

·  Present a bibliography with a minimum of five varied and relevant references

·  Correctly apply an agreed referencing convention.

  1. Support arguments in a logically structured essay.

Perspectives:

Northern perspective: What factors allowed the North to defeat the South?

·  Political: Lincoln’s adept leadership; the fact that Appalachia sided with the North.

·  Economic: Northern industrial and financial power.

·  Social: the Union had a better cause (freedom for all Americans).

·  Military: the size of the Union army; Grant’s and Sherman’s leadership.

Southern perspective: What factors hindered the South in its attempts to win the war?

·  Political: weak leadership; failure to secure either the support or neutrality of Appalachia.

·  Economic: weak economy.

·  Social: disunity.

·  Military: mistakes made by Lee.

Bibliography

Allen, Thomas (1992) The Blue and the Gray, The National Geographic Society, Washington.

Channing, Steven (1984) The Civil War Confederate Ordeal, Time-Life Books, Alexandria.

Commager, Henry (ed) (1982) Illustrated History of the American Civil War, Orbis Publishing, London.

Davis, William et. al. (ed) (1997) The Leaders, Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville.

Kinseed, Cole C. (2004) The American Civil War, Greenwood Press, London.

Pratt, Fletcher, (1997) Ordeal by Fire, Dover Publications, Inc. New York.

Shaara, Michael (1974) The Killer Angels, The Ballantine Publishing Group, New York.

Smith, Page (1982), Trial by Fire, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

Stanchak, John (2000) Civil War, Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. New York.

Winnick, Jay (2001) April 1865: the Month that Saved America, HarperCollins, New York.