Household War: How Americans Lived and Fought the Civil War

Household War emphasizes the significance of households in the American Civil War by challenging traditional distinctions and exploring how they influenced military strategy, motivations, and experiences. The volume demonstrates that the war was a revolutionary moment in the transformation of the household order, reshaping concepts such as home, family, and slavery.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2020
Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Introduction:
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a pivotal period in American history, marked by profound social, political, and economic changes. One of the most significant aspects of this war was the re-emphasis on the role of households in American society. Household War, a collection of essays by renowned historians, seeks to explore the complex relationship between the Civil War and the American household.
Restoring the Centrality of Households:
The essays in Household War complicate the traditional distinctions between battlefront and homefront, soldier and civilian, and men and women. By examining the interplay of family and politics, the authors challenge the notion that the war was solely fought on the battlefield and argue that the home was a crucial front in the conflict. The authors explore how households influenced Confederate and Union military strategy, the motivations of soldiers and civilians, and the occupation of captured cities. They also examine the experiences of Native Americans, women, children, freedpeople, injured veterans, and other marginalized groups who were affected by the war.
A Revolutionary Moment in the Transformation of the Household Order:
The Civil War was a revolutionary moment in the transformation of the household order. The original essays by distinguished historians provide an inclusive examination of how the war flowed from, required, and resulted in the restructuring of the nineteenth-century household. Contributors explore notions of the household before, during, and after the war, unpacking subjects such as home, family, quarrels, domestic service and slavery, manhood, the Klan, prisoners and escaped prisoners, Native Americans, grief, and manhood. The essays further show how households redefined and reordered themselves as a result of the changes stemming from the Civil War.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Household War offers a unique and much-needed approach to the study of the Civil War. By restoring the centrality of households to the conflict, the essays complicate the standard distinctions between battlefront and homefront, soldier and civilian, and men and women. The authors demonstrate that the Civil War was a revolutionary moment in the transformation of the household order, and that the home was a crucial front in the conflict. The collection provides valuable insights into the experiences of marginalized groups and offers a fresh perspective on the war's legacy.

Weight: 484g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780820356341