US 1860-1877

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Civil War soldier with family

Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877

The assessments below focus upon people and events during the American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877. During a period of intense division within the United States, these sources reflect the attitudes, beliefs, and anxieties of different groups of people within the American population. Source topics include experiences of Civil War soldiers, ideas about Abraham Lincoln, the elections of 1860 and 1864, and the experiences of African Americans during the war and Reconstruction.