New Interpretations of the Civil War

From the Editor

In this final issue of 2010, History Now offers readers a selection of the latest interpretations of the Civil War era by four leading historians. These essays remind us that this critical moment in the history of our nation continues to demand reexamination.

In “Lincoln’s Interpretation of the Civil War”, Eric Foner takes a closer look at the President’s second inaugural address. He finds evidence of Lincoln’s deeply held belief that the sin of slavery could not be laid simply at the doorstep of the planter society of the South. The...More »