Western Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War

The Western Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War explores how editors in the West responded to the secession, war, and its aftermath, including their partisanship, newsgathering techniques, financial concerns, and responses to censorship. It also reveals how the war was reported in the western press, highlighting the financial and editorial lengths editors went to to meet readers' demands for war and home front news.

Format: Hardback
Length: 326 pages
Publication date: 20 September 2021
Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc

The American Civil War, which concluded over 150 years ago, has garnered significant scholarly attention, while the Western newspapers and their experiences during this bloody conflict have received comparatively less scholarly attention. This first volume of a two-volume set aims to shed light on the fact that the West was not immune to the various aspects of the war, including battles, military recruitment, national anxieties, and partisan infighting.

The Western Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War delves into how editors across the region, ranging from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast, responded to the secession, the war, and its immediate aftermath. This edited volume examines the outspoken partisanship of editors, including political feuds, their newsgathering techniques, financial concerns, and their responses to wartime press censorship. It also sheds light on how the war was reported in the Western press, while also exploring the reporting of home front issues.

This first volume reveals the financial and editorial lengths that editors went to in order to meet the demands of readers for war and home front news across a vast region characterized by poor infrastructure and where news often arrived slowly. The second volume, The Midwestern Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War, focuses on the press in the midwestern United States.

In conclusion, The Western Press in the Crucible of the American Civil War provides valuable insights into the experiences of Western newspapers during this pivotal period in American history. By examining the financial and editorial challenges faced by editors, as well as their responses to the war and its aftermath, this volume contributes to our understanding of the broader context of the Civil War and its impact on the Western region.

Weight: 632g
Dimension: 158 x 237 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781433175992
Edition number: New ed